Tribal Wants
by Spyff921
Summary: Earth has been hit with a massive heatwave. Most all life has been destroyed and the surviving bands of humans have gathered into small gruops of tribes. Two rival groups will collide as the younger generations mesh with one another. Greed and Revenge
1. triwap

It was a regular day when the heat wave hit Earth. No one was expecting it. No one. It's mass destruction wiped out much of the human race and very few managed to survive. Those that did banded together in order to preserve their lives. Some reunited their connection with the Earth and relearned secrets long forgotten. One tribe was the Demon tribe. They had their evil ways and plotted to overtake Japan and then continue on until their craving for power was satisfied.   
  
Two tribes, the White Banshee Tribe and the Dead Soul Tribe had lived in years of rivalry towards one another. Blood was spilled and the gap between the two tribes grew ever wider.   
  
Through several young women and men, the tribes were about to see a new life and a future of happiness, but this balance could go either way. Will the tribes continue to fight as if the other were a demon released from hell, or will they finally come to unite and stand in the hope for the future? 


	2. triwa1

The summer was hotter than last year. Relena shaded her eyes as she looked up at the sky. The neighboring tribe was competing for the same water. It was almost considered a war over land, food, resources, and anything else under the sun. Ever since she was a child her tribe had told her to hate the 'Dead Soul' tribe, but her parents told her to tolerate and even think of their rivals as friends. Relena had never met anyone from that tribe before, but she knew that because of the intense heat, tempers would be higher and easier to explode. Relena let the sheep drink more before she began to herd them back towards home. Her brother had argued against her taking the herds out alone, but her mother only stated that she was nearly full grown.   
  
"All the better reason for her to stay home," Zechs, her brother, had mumbled. Relena had cuffed him afterward. She loved her brother dearly and was grateful for his protectiveness, but sometimes she only wanted to smack the daylights out of him. The sun beat down hard on top of her and she felt the sweat gathering. She had pulled her long golden hair up into an old beaten red cap. She looked like a boy from behind though. She wore a worn animal skin for a top that fit her loose and then a pair of shorts made also of skin. Her shoes were made of sandals. This… was her herding clothing. Her mother always did disapprove, but they were comfortable, airy, and let her move freely.   
  
"Come on! Tat! Hut!" she called to hurry the sheep. She had heard of others being brought in bloodied and bruised. The 'Dead Soul' tribe had stolen the sheep and of course the 'Banshee' tribe had returned with equal retaliation, taking up more water and steeling cattle. Relena realized that they would not have been in this situation if the human decline had not occurred.   
  
Ultimate heat waves washed out much of the race and the survivors banded together to form the late tribes. They had all lived in harmony at some point. They shared and lived together and now they were fighting each other as if the other was a snake that should have been destroyed along with the heat. Relena shook her head in disgust at the thought. Her mother and father always promoted peace between the tribes, but no one would listen to them. They were on the way to complete destruction.   
  
The feel of cold steel against her back, forced Relena to stop dead in her tracks and put her hands up. Someone reached around and disarmed the knife that was hidden in her belt. It was a long slender hand. Relena knew what was to come next. She was going to be knocked unconscious and the herd was to be taken. The tribe was dependent on some of that portion of the herd and she wasn't about to let it go without a fight. Relena spun around with a frightening speed, smacking the intruder, stunning them and then sweeping their feet out from under them. Relena got a glance. It was a girl! Her brother's age or a little younger. She had dark hair and her eyes showed no fear as Relena reached for her own knife as the other young woman was lying there helplessly, waiting for the blow to kill her. Relena knew she could never kill someone like that. Slowly, she stepped forward, raising her retrieved knife. The girl waited with shuteyes for the blade to sink into her, but it never happened. Instead, the hilt acme down and ran into the side of her head. She was sent into a spiraling darkness. Relena breathed heavily as she stared down at her defeated victim. She would have to bring her in. She was of the Dead Soul tribe. Relena felt her eyes sting when she stared even longer down at this young woman.   
  
Duo, Cathy, and Dorothy were waiting at the entrance of the village for Relena to get back. It was her first time out alone with the half-herd. Duo was carving a piece of wood with a knife as Cathy leaned against a nearby tree in the shade. There were so few of them now, both in trees and humans. Duo wore shorts of the old material, jeans that were ragged all over, holes on the thighs and hip. He wore sandals, as did the others. Cathy wore a swimsuit looking animal skin top with jean shorts as well and a little better care than Duo's. Dorothy, a blond haired beauty sat beneath the tree snoozing, wearing a similar looking top as Cathy and with a skirt instead that was nearly down to the knees of animal skin. Relena had complained only a week ago that it was as if they were sent back into the stone ages with those clothing, but there was so little of anything from the world the human race had known. There were even some ruins of the old cities. Tokyo still stood, barely, and as did America. There could be no travel between contents unless the boats, which were rarely found, were used to get there. No one had heard from America in a long time and Europe stopped communicating a long time ago.   
  
Cathy looked up to check and see if Relena was coming yet. She was late, but that was to be expected. Cathy squinted her eyes when she saw a blurry figure over the horizon. The heat made it nearly impossible to see. The sheep came quickly, but Relena dragged behind. It looked as if she was carrying someone. Cathy shot up and ran forward.   
  
"Relena!" she cried. Relena didn't wave. She kept on walking. Cathy, Dorothy, and Duo all shot forward and saw what Relena was carrying and gasped, stopping in their tracks.   
  
"Relena?" questioned Dorothy.   
  
"Who is she?" asked Duo.   
  
"An intruder from the 'Dead Soul' tribe," answered Relena exhausted. Suddenly, Wufei appeared and saw what was happening. His eyes widened.   
  
"Dead Soul! Why have you brought that barbarian here?" he cried. Duo rolled his eyes.   
  
"Come on, it's not as if she's going to jump up and bite you," he grumbled, but still eyed the prone body wearily.   
  
"She tried to take the sheep from me, but I caught her. Someone… please… take her from me. She's dehydrated and I'm going to faint now." Wufei caught Relena as Duo reached forward and caught the other.   
  
"She must have been at the water hole when she was attacked. She's got heat stroke!" cried Cathy. "Let's get her inside quickly!" The young adults ran for the Peacecraft residency hut.   
  
"Mrs. Peacecraft! Mrs. Peacecraft! Relena! She's back, help us! She's got heat stroke!"   
  
"Dorothy would you stop your yelling and help us out here?" growled Wufei as carried Relena to her home. Zech's head poked out from inside the hut and saw his sister. His eyes widened as he shot outside to take his sister from Wufei. He rushed inside to place Relena on the cold floor inside. Duo and Cathy dragged in the other girl, who was still unconscious. Zechs was busy with his sister, but not busy enough to not notice the girl.   
  
"Who is she?" he demanded tensely.   
  
"Relena said she was a intruder. She must have dragged her all the way back from the waterhole. We think she's from the Dead Soul tribe. Look, she's got a skull tattoo on her right shoulder," stated Cathy quickly. Zechs looked up sharply when he heard the name of their rival tribe.   
  
"Get her out of here! Throw her into sun and let her burn to death!" Zechs yelled angrily. Just then, his mother ran in out of breath. She had been fetched from another hut and saw the situation immediately and heard the last of what her son yelled.   
  
"Milliardo! That's enough! Set her over on the floor next to my daughter," directed Mrs. Peacecraft calmly. Zechs stared on in hate at the young woman that had threatened his little sister's life. He noticed that she was young. Probably his age or a little younger. High cheekbones, strong arms, and a tired look on her beautiful face. Beautiful? Where the hell did that come from? Zechs, in frustration glared and stood up abruptly and spun around to leave. He spared another glance at his little sister and then at the other. He hesitated, but then stormed out.   
  
"Mrs. Peacecraft, is Relena going to be all right?"   
  
"I believe so, Wufei. I'm not sure if this young woman is going to be as well though. She's has major sunburns." Cathy looked at the burns and winced. They were bad. They had all grown tan to the sun, but the burns were unbelievable.   
  
"Duo, honey, would you please go to the shelf over there and pull out the balm. It's in a small tub and a cover. I'm going to cover the burns before she wakes up. Relena will be fine, Dorothy, would you please go and get some water and give Relena some a little at a time." Duo returned with the balm and handed it over to Mrs. Peacecraft, who spread it immediately on the young woman's flaming skin. She moaned in her unconsciousness.   
  
"Hush," whispered Mrs. Peacecraft comfortingly. "It's all right darling. Everything is all right." Suddenly, the girl sat up abruptly. Her eyes were wild with confusion.   
  
"I'm not dead," she gasped in amazement. Duo and Wufei stepped forward as if to deal with her themselves, but by the look on Mrs. Peacecraft's face, they stood back immediately.   
  
"No, you're not dead, honey," said Mrs. Peacecraft. The young woman looked around cautiously.   
  
"Where am I?"   
  
"You are in the most generous household I have ever seen," mumbled Wufei. "You should be grateful." The young woman glared up at him.   
  
"I don't have to be grateful for anything." Cathy became angry at the person's arrogant state.   
  
"Yeah? Well you should be! Relena could have left you out there in the hot sun to die, but she didn't. She dragged you five miles back here for treatment to your burns and better care." The woman seemed confused for a moment.   
  
"Relena?" she asked. Dorothy rolled her eyes.   
  
"The girl you tired to attack!" she yelled in annoyance. The woman turned to stare at the girl lying unconsciously next to her and blushed.   
  
"I thought she was a boy." Cathy smiled a little.   
  
"Well, she insists on wearing that ugly cap, and she looks like a boy." Was that a smile growing on the woman's mouth? Mrs. Peacecraft smiled a little and gently pats the woman on the shoulder.   
  
"You're in the White Banshee tribe right now, but no one can hurt you here. You are in our household right now and no one can come after you." Duo's eyes widened and Wufei glared, disapprovingly.   
  
"The leader will be after you about this. He'll tell you that your peace talk has gone too far. It's happened before," stated Dorothy unsurely. Mrs. Peacecraft ignored them and kept her attention on the woman's face.   
  
"What's your name?" The woman seemed uneasy.   
  
"Noin. Lucrezia Noin," she said unsteadily. "I'm from…"   
  
"The Dead Soul tribe," finished Mrs. Peacecraft. Noin's eyes widened.   
  
"It's all right. This family… most of this family… promotes peace between the tribes. Relena is one of them, but my oldest child does not agree completely with this."   
  
Lucrezia's eyes softened for a moment. This family was kind, but then she quickly replaced it with a sneer. She nodded towards Relena.   
  
"She is weak. If she were true to her tribe, she would have killed me." Wufei glared down at the intruder. A glare from Wufei was natural, but anything more was something dangerous. Duo steeped forward and cracked his knuckles.   
  
"Well, if you insist maybe we can arrange it." Mrs. Peacecraft shook her head strictly.   
  
"We have avoided bloodshed for a month now. Let's not start now." Duo stepped down reluctantly. Just then, Relena began to come to. Dorothy and Cathy knelt next to her and began to pamper her.   
  
"What happened?" asked Relena hoarsely.   
  
"You brought a barbarian into our tribe and fainted from heatstroke," grumbled Wufei.   
  
"Barbarian?" cried Lucrezia. "Right now I'm in the barbarian tribe! It probably would have been better if that girl had killed me!"   
  
"Don't push it," hissed Dorothy. They all glanced at her face in surprise.   
  
"Ms. Noin, if you wish to live you will have to be more conscious of your tongue. Even I have my tribal pride. My daughter thought you were worth the effort to bring you back over five miles of desert. Instead of using your energy to insult the people who have saved your life, I think you could be considerate enough to hold your tongue," stated Mrs. Peacecraft softly. Just then, Zechs stepped in and the tension in the room increased greatly.   
  
"Mother, the leader is on his way here," he said coldly. He glared down at Lucrezia who returned the glare. The door flew open with a huge force and a tall lean man stepped inside. He scowled down at Mrs. Peacecraft.   
  
"Sera!" he boomed. "This is the last straw. Talking of peace is one thing, but bringing a barbarian is another."   
  
"I did not invite Ms. Noin. My daughter brought her in with the herds and I'm very proud of her for it. She holds my husband and my opinions in high esteem." The leaders face was turning red.   
  
"Sera, you have no choice in this matter. Your daughter is not to run the herds alone again. If something like this happens again, you and your husband will be thrown out to fend for yourself. You daughter will be sent to Second Tokyo." Now Mrs. Peacecraft looked outraged.   
  
"You have no right to the fate of my daughter! She will not be sent to Second Tokyo."   
  
"We need all the yen we can get. Even after mass destruction the world still runs on money. Your daughter may help, whether she wishes to or not."   
  
"What of my son?"   
  
"He is old enough to have his own life. You and your husband have driven me to these actions. You have brought this upon yourself." He stormed out angrily. Zechs glared after the leader.   
  
"He's losing control more each day," stated Duo woefully.   
  
"Zechs, come help your sister into bed, would you?" Zechs stiffly picked up Relena and carried her to a thin mat in the corner. He then covered her with a light blanket that came up to her elbow. She smiled thankfully at her brother and promptly closed her eyes.   
  
"Mother," Zechs whispered with his back turned.   
  
"Yes, Milliardo."   
  
"We must take the barbarian away."   
  
"She's not going anywhere until these burns all heal. It's too dangerous for her out there. She might get worse."   
  
"She is leaving. She's endangered the whole family. They'll send Relena to the labor fields and you know just as I do what will happen there!" Mrs. Peacecraft looked exhausted. More than exhausted. It looked like the life was beginning to drain from her. Sighing, Mrs. Peacecraft sent a comforting gaze to Relena's turned back. Her daughter seemed to sense and immediately turned around and smiled a little as well. Then she turned back and lay down. Zechs was growing impatient.   
  
"Mother…"   
  
"Milliardo Peacecraft… you shame this family with what you say. She is a human being and your father and I have taught you ever since you could blink your eyes of being compassionate." Zechs initially felt shocked at being accused of shaming their family. It was her, and father that had shamed the family. They were the cause of this whole mess. With a growl, he turned and stormed out, not bothering a spare glance at anyone. Suddenly, Relena turned around with tears forming slowly.   
  
"Mother?"   
  
"Yes, darling," whispered Mrs. Peacecraft kindly.   
  
"Have I done something wrong?" Her mother's face crumbled into a look of sadness.   
  
"No, you've done wonderful. I'm glad you are listening to the things your father and I have taught you, but some people just don't seem to understand." Relena only nodded.  
  
"I know of what they think. I'm not an innocent girl anymore, Mother."   
  
"Yes, I know. But just remember that you did something right today. Nothing is wrong with what you did."   
  
"Then why is it that everyone is acting as if I've brought a disease into the tribe? She's human just like us."   
  
"You did nothing wrong. Get some rest." Relena smiled a little at her friends and turned over and closed her eyes. The others threw concerned looks at Relena. Then they all turned expectantly to Lucrezia. She threw her arms up in defense.   
  
"Hey, it's not like I asked her to bring me!" They all glared at her now.   
  
"She could have died saving you. If you hadn't tried to take the sheep, the Peacecraft's wouldn't be in this predicament," cried Cathy. Lucrezia looked respectfully ashamed of her loose comments earlier.   
  
"Please excuse this behavior I am very aware of the position I'm in. If… Relena… Hadn't brought me back I wouldn't be alive. I never wanted to cause a family's ruin either." Noin meant every word of it. She turned and gazed sadly at Relena's back. All eyes stared as well. Each in their own thoughts.   
  
"Stop staring at me," mumbled Relena. The others smiled when they realized she was awake. They chuckled and laughed some. Even Noin smiled in amusement. Maybe… just maybe the tribe leader of 'Dead Soul' was wrong. Maybe this tribe wasn't so terrible. 


	3. triwa2

Chapter 2  
  
Of course, Trowa had to make that dare with Lucrezia. He just had to drag his friend Quatre into it as well. Trowa had sneered when Lucrezia said she could raid just as well as they could; now everything was a mess. The leader found out and was furious, Lucrezia still wasn't back, Natria was sneering at them right now and Heero was in a bad mood once again. Quatre always hoped he would lighten up, but there was no chance of that happening.   
  
"The people responsible for daring Lucrezia were responsible for arranging the search and rescue. Of course, Hilde made fun of Trowa and Quatre as they stood before the leader and she automatically was volunteered to help them by the leader. At the moment, Trowa, Quatre, and Hilde sat around a campfire, making out a plan. Lucrezia had been captured and they had to get her back. Who knows what the barbarians would do to her. Suddenly two more people came and sat down as well.   
  
"We were told to help you bring back Lucrezia," stated Heero grudgingly. Natria sat down slowly.   
  
"The leader forced you, didn't he," stated Trowa. Heero glared down at the fire.   
  
"He actually tried to get Heero in a headlock," smiled Natria with amusement. "Of course, being Heero's father, the leader's the only one who can beat him." The others chuckled a little.   
  
"Has your father stopped bothering you about finding a girl?" joked Quatre.   
  
"Yeah right! That would be the ultimate torture for anyone to be in the same room for five minutes!" yelled Hilde laughing. Heero sent her a dead on glare.   
  
"I think we won't mention it for a while. He's too worried about the tribe we've located. They don't seem too friendly."   
  
"We aren't in danger are we?" asked Trowa.   
  
"I don't think so. They're moving more south."   
  
"The White Banshee tribe." Heero nodded slowly. "That's why we must hurry and retrieve Lucrezia." No one responded.   
  
Lucrezia knew she was not going to be let loose to return home. The leader made that very clear. She wasn't mistreated though. The Peacecraft family treated her kindly, nursing her, except for the eldest, Milliardo, also known as Zechs. He treated her like an infidel. He sneered at her mistakes and glared when she laughed with his family. He had gotten descent over the last day, but he still threw her nasty looks every once in a while.   
  
"She knew her tribe was going to come after her, but she didn't know how long it would take though. The Peacecraft's protected her from the rest of the tribe. One time, a group of young men surrounded her and Relena as they were walking back with some water. They were making jibes at Lucrezia. Suddenly Wufei and Duo stepped out from nearby and leaned against trees. Cathy and Dorothy appeared on the other side.   
  
"Back off," stated Cathy. One boy came closer to her and reached up and began to touch her cheek in an intimidating kind of way. Her hand came up and shoved his hand aside.   
  
"What? You're defending a barbarian?" scowled the young man. Duo's small smirk seemed to make the others nervous.   
  
"I'd say the barbarians are the people who insist on picking on defenseless young women. Lucrezia and Relena both looked rather insulted and threw each other a look that described a later torture session for Duo.   
  
"You're traitors. All of you," growled the other young man.  
  
"Tashi, you're the biggest ass, it's almost funny," commented Dorothy. "Really, you belong on the funny farm." Tashi glared over at her in fury. Dorothy merely shrugged it off and smiled a little.   
  
"Watch it Dee… you'll regret it later," he whispered to her. She looked decently weary, but that look vanished quickly.   
  
"It's not a matter of who is a traitor and who is the barbarian," began Wufei. "It's more like, who is the animal, and who is the real man."   
  
"What are you insinuating?" hissed the man standing next to Cathy.   
  
"Nothing, Matsuya, he's just stating the truth. You're an animal, simple as that," commented Cathy. "All you can think about is eating and making sure your balls are still in function, but I heard from Junko the other day that you're not as great in bed as it seems." All other laughed at this comment. Even Tashi smirked a little. Grumbling, Matsuya punched Tashi in the shoulder and they both turned their backs and walked away, growling something about traitors.   
  
"Won't you have troubles with the leader now?" asked Lucrezia. Wufei shrugged.   
  
"They don't have the brains and balls to actually get involved with the leader," stated Cathy coldly. Lucrezia smiled.   
  
"Honey, I think we'll get along better than you think." Cathy sniffed and walked away. Lucrezia continued to smile. They were all beginning to level out.   
  
Lucrezia sitting in the shade with Relena discussing Earth's wonderful philosophies over the generations and centuries when they hit. No one was given enough warning. The lookouts were killed so there was no way they could know. Red face paint covered their faces. They carried torches and rode the rare horses. It was horrible. They also managed to find guns as well. The White Banshee's knives and spears were nothing compared to their guns and speed. Lucrezia climbed up into a tree and reached down for Relena so she could climb up as well, but a warrior came riding up at full speed, with the intent of grabbing Relena. She saw it coming and ran for it, leaving Lucrezia calling after her. The horse was gaining on her fast, but Relena kept going.   
  
Lucrezia jumped down and began to run after as well to help, but it was impossible. Another horse came running up after her. She cried out, but someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out of the way. She landed hard, but safely. Once her eyes cleared, she turned to her rescuer and found… Milliardo!   
  
"Zechs!" she cried. He didn't look at her. He only stood up and glared at the oncoming enemy, drawing his sword. The oncoming warrior grinned down at her.   
  
"My, that's a lovely girl there, I think I might take her for myself," he said in an evil voice. Zech's eyes narrowed.   
  
"You'll have to go through me first." Lucrezia's eyes widened in shocked at Zech's passion filled statement.   
  
Cathy stared in shock as her hut began to burn. Her baby brother was inside. She cried out her brothers name and plummeted herself into the house. Her parents were somewhere in the chaos. Her brother! She had to get to him! The roof was burning in this terrible heat.   
  
"Joshua!" she screamed. She heard the infants screaming as the flames licked at his cradle. She lunged for the cradle. She snatched up her brother and screamed as a part of the roof caved in. She was suddenly pulled away from the danger. Then she was being dragged out of the house with amazing strength. Her eyes were teary with the smoke that was strangling her. She quickly looked down on her little brother to check on him. He was screaming, but alive. She breathed a small sigh of relief. That's when she saw the tattoo on the man's right arm. Her eyes widened. A skull!   
  
Wufei spun around and saw the horse charging towards him, and he held his ground with his father. His mother stood behind them, also prepared to fight. Wufei bared his teeth as he let out a battle cry. With strength of five men, he swept out the horses hooves, tripping it up and making the rider fall. His father quickly disposed of the enemy with a few blows. He sensed it as if someone had tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and saw a charging warrior too late. The sword was coming down quickly. He raised his arms to block the blow, but suddenly an arrow flew straight through the man's arm and he went into shock. Wufei knocked off the man and jumped up in the man's place, taking off to help save some more of the tribe.   
  
"Come on!" screamed Duo as he held up a sturdy spear. Two horsemen circled him with taunting smiles. Suddenly, they threw ropes, which wrapped themselves around his wrists, and shoulders and the horses took off, dragging Duo behind. The two men smiled evilly as Duo struggled to loose himself. He turned, as his shoulders tore and screamed in pain. He let out a strengthening cry as he grabbed the ropes around his wrists and yanked hard, throwing the men off balance, pulling them down to the ground. The struggled to recover and stood up slowly, rubbing their arms or limping on a leg. Duo wasn't in much better shape. He prepared to fight them. One threw a punch and the other kicked out. The kick got through; making him loose his air the other took the opportunity to plow his fist into his side. Duo gasped in pain, but suddenly, the beating stopped. A cast stone in their direction distracted them.   
  
Duo needed only that time to use his elbow, foot, and knuckles to kill the men. After a moment, he swayed slowly and fainted with the roaring pain in his ribs. He barely felt himself being dragged into the shelter of some trees.   
  
Guarding herself with only a staff, Dorothy sneered at the oncoming warriors. They jumped down off their galloping horses and landed in front of her. She looked for an opening and made the first move.   
  
"AAAAAAAH!" she screamed as she attacked the warriors. She made several blows, but soon, they had wrestled the staff from her and pinning her down to the ground. She knew what was to come next. She squirmed and screamed her heart out. Suddenly, she was released. Her eyes were shut tight. She heard shouting and struggling and suddenly, her eyes opened to find a blond angel standing before her. Then her eyes saw the tattoo and her reaction was only to promptly faint.   
  
It was too late. The attack had already started and Heero had cursed terribly when they saw the smoke rising over the horizon. They quickly headed in that direction. They had found the bodies of the lookouts in a bunch of rotting bushes. When they got there, they split up to look for Lucrezia. Heero hid in the shadows of a growth of trees. He saw Lucrezia immediately. She was climbing a tree and trying to help a White Banshee tribe member! She was his age it looked and the terror on her face was evident. Lucrezia looked desperate.   
  
"Come on Relena! Come on! Just a little further!" she cried. Heero's eyes narrowed when he saw a blond man see this from the other side of the settlement. His eyes widened at something and Heero turned to see what he was looking at. It was a warrior. He was heading straight for the girl.   
  
"Relena!" screamed Lucrezia as the girl ran in terror. She was fast, Heero even had to admit that. Lucrezia jumped down and Heero cursed again. That idiot should have stayed put! Then that blond man leapt forward to defend her. The warrior that threatened was cut down quickly and Heero knew that Lucrezia was going to be okay. That's when his attention turned back around to look at that earlier girl named… Relena? He glared after the warrior. They were getting so far away. He almost couldn't see where they were going. Heero quickly left his cover and ran off after them as well. It was obvious the warrior's intents were not to cut Relena down. Much worse and Relena seemed to know this as well. By the time Heero caught up with them, he saw the man had Relena in a strangling grip. He was letting his hands wander all over her and she was struggling wildly to get away.   
  
"Let me go," she ordered coldly. Heero was surprised by her attitude. She would have been sobbing. Any normal person would have been sobbing at this point. She was ordering this man, who was two times bigger than her, to put her down. The man ripped at her cloths. Which was the proper attire now. An animal skin top and jean pants.   
  
She kneed him in the groin and the man leaned over in pain. Relena made a break for it, but she didn't make it a few steps when the man grabbed her flowing hair. He swung her around and grinned cruelly and then Heero saw the fear in Relena's eyes. His own eyes narrowed. The man pulled back his hand and drove his fist into Relena's gut and than back handed her in a single instant. Before she could even hit the ground he pulled her up and backhanded her again. Blood trickled down her chin. Heero ran forward, knocking the other warrior off his feet and flying several feet. Heero caught the nearly unconscious girl as she fell and gently laid her down on the ground. He stood up quickly and faced the warrior who recovered by now and prepared to make a kill.   
  
"Ah, it's a knight to kill the evil villain," said the man icily. He smiled a little and looked down at Relena.   
  
"Is she yours?" he asked. "You're a damn lucky man. She tasted really good." Heero felt unnecessary rage towards this man and he pulled up his wrist and pointed it at the man. A knife was contained on it and a flick of the wrist; the small dagger went flying and lodged itself in the man's throat. He gargled for a long moment. The rage passed after a moment and Heero turned back around to face the girl. She was struggling to get up. She stared around her and saw Heero. She began to glare and back up quickly. He rolled his eyes and grabbed her. She struggled for as little strength as she had.   
  
"Let me go!" she screamed. "I'd rather die than this!"   
  
"Don't tempt me," growled Heero harshly. Relena pulled out a knife and swiped at him but he dodged skillfully. She managed to release herself from his grip. She tried to pull back the knife to plunge it into her heart, but Heero was too fast. He knocked her knife out of her hand.   
  
"Would you hold still!" he yelled. Something in his Prussian eyes forced her to settle. "I'm only here to retrieve Lucrezia." The girl seemed confused.   
  
"Then… why did you come here to me?" Now Heero was confused. Why had he? He continued to glare down at her; suddenly he spun around and began to walk away. Relena quickly stumbled up and ran after him.   
  
"Hey wait!" He stopped, but didn't turn. Relena gasped at the pain running along in her sides.   
  
"How are you planning on taking Lucrezia? The leader is stubborn."   
  
"If he cares for the rest of his tribe to survive, he'll see it our way." Relena's eyes widened. 


	4. triwa3

Chapter 3  
  
Cathy quickly closed her eyes, pretending she hadn't seen the tattoos located on the young man's arm. She cradled Joshua to her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the warrior. She clutched the baby and flew forward, knocking the young man over and covered both him and Joshua. Her eyes closed tightly as she felt the steel of the weapon break her skin and continue on across her back. After the horse ran by she opened her eyes and stared into green depths. They were beautiful. There was curiosity and confusion on his face as he stared at her. She had wonderfully rich brown hair. Suddenly, the warrior turned back around to finish the job. Cathy waited in anticipation, but the rider was knocked off the horse. Wufei came riding by on a horse, covered in sweat and grime.   
  
The warrior got up and spotted Cathy. He made his way over, drawing a knife. Cathy's eyes narrowed. She quickly placed Joshua in the young man's arms.   
  
"Look after him," she smiled lovingly at Joshua and she stepped up and away from the man still lying on the ground. She drew her own dagger and the warrior came after her with a yell. Her speed aided her as she dodged and circled, but strength was her weakness. His own knife locked with her dagger. He pushed down on her about ready to snap her spine. She let out a cry, feeling her blood surging dangerously. She saw Wufei coming at them quickly.   
  
"Hurry," she whispered to her self. Then she yelled it to Wufei. "Hurry!" Then the warrior saw Wufei and he looked up. Cathy dropped and rolled, leaving the man to be trampled by the horse. Cathy gasped for air as her lungs began to breath again. The young man that was holding the baby slowly approached and handed the baby to Cathy. She smiled at the crying babe.   
  
"She, it's all right, Joshua. Mama and Papa will be here soon." Wufei's eyes seemed to go dull and Trowa knew they weren't going to come back.   
  
"Cathy, come on, I think we need to go find the others." Cathy shook her head.   
  
"No, I probably should wait here for Mama and Papa."   
  
"Cathy…" Wufei trailed off. Cathy looked at him sharply.   
  
"What is it? Something has happened, hasn't it? What is it?"   
  
"You're parents… they…"   
  
"Are they hurt? Where are they?" Cathy cried desperately.   
  
"No… they didn't make it." Cathy's eyes seemed to empty of everything. She was ignoring the baby's crying now. Wufei knelt down in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders.   
  
"Cathy?" he asked softly. It was rare for Wufei to act as such, but Trowa didn't know that.   
  
"You shouldn't have told her," he said simply. Wufei shot up in fury.   
  
"You're the cause of this! You and your tribe, your symbol of death… a skull! You've brought this upon us… upon her!" Wufei pointed to Cathy after he spat this out with disgust.   
  
"Wufei," stated Cathy hoarsely. "Don't blame him. He saved me. Those warriors are not part of his tribe…" She began to panic, not paying attention to her earlier speech. "Wufei… you have to be wrong about my parents. They're alive! They have to be!" Wufei shook his head.   
  
"Cathy, I saw it with my own eyes. Your parents aren't coming back."   
  
"Show me…"   
  
"That's not…"   
  
"Show me!" Wufei sighed and got up slowly.   
  
"What of him?" he asked, nodding to Trowa.   
  
"He can do as he wishes." Cathy turned and demanded once again for Wufei to lead her to her parents. He knew he shouldn't do it. He told himself not to. To at least restrain her from doing it, but she couldn't be stopped. Wufei walked silently next to the barbarian as Cathy walked behind.   
  
"How did they die?" whispered Trowa. In any other situation, Wufei would have kicked this barbarian from here to kingdom come, but he was too tired and it was the least of his worries.   
  
"Her father blocked a bullet directed at a member of your tribe. Her mother was taken down by a spear, and as far as I know, the weapon is still lodged in her throat." Trowa's eyes widened in shock.   
  
"Are you mad? You're going to take her to see her parents in such conditions? You are heartless!" Wufei's eyes narrowed at Trowa's reaction and then sneered.   
  
"Our tribe is strong and we can all take this kind of stuff. Heaven knows how many times we have had to do this with the deaths that have been plaguing us. Many are dead. The leader has become old and is losing his mind and grip on reality slowly. We are starving and this attack… it is only another addition to our misery. Cathy will grieve and she will cry, but she is strong and will live on, if not for herself, for her brother. We of the White Banshee tribe are strong because we have to be." Trowa smirked.   
  
"You'd have to be strong to stand against the Dead Soul tribe." Trowa was once again surprised when this young man, called Wufei almost smiled at the comment.   
  
"I'd say that we all are strong here. Everyone must be, because you are weak if you do not manage to adapt to our lives."   
  
"You were talking of being plagued by deaths, what…"   
  
"A strange disease hits us after we located that strange tribe. I knew that it was not the Dead Soul tribe, but I am infuriated quickly and sometimes that can add to my advantage. Keep that in mind." Trowa smiled a little now.   
  
"What are the symptoms of this disease?"   
  
"You first come down with a terrible fever and then you go through a day or two of extreme pain. By the fourth day, your blood vessels in your head start to burst. Many have died from this and the tribe has been reduced. Even my father has lost hope with the downfall of our tribe. We are all suffering and even I can see this. That is the only reason I am telling you this."   
  
Just as Wufei finished, they came upon the mass destruction of the entire tribe. Wufei only cloaked himself in an unemotional armor as he ignored the damage. Cathy, on the other hand, was unprepared for the scene lying before her. The grip on her little brother tightened involuntarily. The frightened baby cried out and Wufei turned around with a dull look in his eyes. He turned away again and stepped over some bodies of the dead. Some were old friends they had known forever. Cathy finally recovered her ability to move. Trowa, surprised at the extensive damage caused by the attack, ran to catch up with Wufei. They walked for long moments in silence. Every once in a while, Wufei would find someone still alive and tend to them.   
  
"You were unprepared," stated Trowa as the more he took in, the more he realized the situation. Wufei didn't lash out like Trowa thought. He only chuckled a little and dusted off his grimy hands.   
  
"Did you come up with that all by yourself? How perceptive of you." Trowa could hear the mocking tone in Wufei's voice. Before he could say anything, Wufei turned to him. "I blamed the leader in the beginning of all this. He believed we did not need to worry. His old mind only saw the strong tribe we once were. He did not see us as we really are. To him, we could kill anyone with our bare hands, wrestle a giant and stand through a dust storm and not be affected in the least. We only laughed at him and shrugged it off, but it is only because all hope is lost, but we are still strong in survival, but even that is in question because of this strange disease."   
  
"The one you mentioned earlier." Wufei nodded.  
  
"The White Banshee will die out." Trowa was confused for a moment. "Each tribesman, it is certain, has the virus of this disease. It is only a matter of whether or not it will be stimulated now, or in another year, or twenty years from now. Cathy's mother was beginning to show symptoms before the attack."   
  
"So it may have been best she died this way." Fury filled Wufei's eyes and he turned away and kept walking.   
  
"I do not wish death upon my other tribal members," said Wufei in a quiet monotone voice, "But I do agree with you. Death is better than the disease." Trowa hesitated and glanced over his shoulder at Cathy and her infant brother. She had a dreamy look on her face, a look that you might have in a nightmare and can't wake up from. Shaking his head, Trowa followed Wufei through the rubble of human bodies.   
  
Duo squinted his eyes as the hot sun filtered through the treetops. Treetops? How'd he end up there? He hadn't gone there to be lazy and fall asleep again, had he? Then the memories flew in and with them, the pain. It flowed through every nerve and muscle in his body. The realization that he was not alone also made itself known. His vision blurred slightly as he tried to sit up. Before he could do this, a harsh voice ordered him to lie back down. It was feminine, but held a command worse than his aunt's. For his sake, he gingerly relaxed back down. At this point he expected death, torture… but not a canteen of cool water! No matter… he drank up almost half it to before the young woman could shove him off.   
  
"Hey, I need some for later too you know." Duo finally opened his eyes all the way to find a dark haired young woman, about his age, frustratingly place the cork into the mouth of the canteen. She was annoyed in losing so much water. Duo's voice was hoarse as he spoke.   
  
"You've got a tattoo." The girl fixed her dark gaze on him and gave him a frustrated glare. She gave one more final shove to the cork of the canteen.   
  
"Boy, you're quick," she stated sarcastically. Then she mumbled something about coming to find a friend and found the tribe idiot. Duo rolled his eyes and began to get up, but a sharp pointed spear at his throat stopped him in his tracks. His eyes followed from the tip to the holder of the spear.   
  
"Here's a suggestion, stay put. I'm a little frustrated right now so don't piss me off. I was planning on taking a look at those fractured ribs of yours, but…" Some shouting off in the distance caught her attention.   
  
"The attack is calming down. So, you came for Lucrezia?" The young woman looked up sharply.   
  
"How did you…"   
  
"First of all, you are from the same tribe, second she talked about nothing else than her friends and that they would probably come looking for her." Suddenly, the young woman jumped up.   
  
"What did you do to Lucrezia?" she yelled angrily. Duo shrugged.   
  
"Nothing, except saving her life, feeding, and caring for her. If the Peacecraft's..." His eyes widened. "Relena… Zechs…" Duo struggled to stand. "I have… ah… I have to find… Aunt Ramma. Dorothy… Cathy… Wufei…" Hilde only heard the 'find' part and did not stand in his way. Carrying her spear and canteen, she followed Duo out of the trees. He gasped in shock as the remains of the village spread out before him. The survivors were now piling up the bodies of the dead. Stumbling from the pain and shock, Duo ran forward, the young woman following. The hollow despairing looks on the survivors' faces did not encourage Duo at all. He ran from one person to the next only gaining a blank look, or a shrug of lost hope. His fear was confirmed when he saw a body being passed to the larger pile. Ramma… Duo shot forward and snatched the body away. Her sky blue eyes were glassy and the limpness of her made Duo want to weep. Yet another family member… his mother, his father, grandfather, now his only remaining relative. Blood had long ago stopped flowing from the gash on the skull of her head. For long moments, Duo sat clutching his loved aunt. 


	5. triwa4

Chapter 4  
  
Dorothy found herself lying on her side in some trees. She was alone as her eyes adjusted to the scene before her. Her wrists ached and her head had a throbbing that refused to leave her. Slowly, her vision cleared and everything became one once again. After finally being able to see, she turned and realized that the cause of her aching wrists, were that they were tightly bound with cords of wet fabric. Her eyes wrenched around to see her situation. Someone, a young man, was sitting under a nearby tree. He held a knife. He was whittling a piece of wood into a small figure. It was had not taken a shape as of yet. Dorothy's attention was quickly distracted by a movement along side the other trees. A young woman stepped out; she glanced at Dorothy, who had returned to her 'unconscious' state.   
  
"Quatre…" The angel's name was Quatre… wait if he was her angel, why was she tied up? Fool… Death Soul Clan! Of course she's tied up!   
  
"The battle is over, we managed to save just enough." Enough? What did she mean?   
  
"So, we're going to carry out the threat?" whispered Quatre.   
  
"I guess. That's what we came here for."   
  
"Natria, do you think we'll have to carry out the threat?"   
  
"If they know what's good for them." A small snapping of a twig brought the two Death Soul members to leap up and ready their knives. A rustling followed and someone else entered the shelter of the trees. Dorothy held her breath, but a huge gasp came from someone. They were there next to her in a moment.   
  
"Dorothy!" Gentle hands landed on her shoulders. Relena? The shock of Relena being there made it hard for Dorothy to come out of her shock right then. Relena turned on the others. "What have you done to her?" she yelled furiously. They only stared at her blankly. Dorothy finally shook herself enough to respond.   
  
"Relena?" she croaked. Her friend turned back to her.   
  
"Are you all right? They didn't do anything to you? Did they?"   
  
"I don't know…"   
  
"Come on, we have to find everyone." Relena placed an arm around her friend and tried to help her up. A notched arrow and the sound of the string being pulled back, stopped her. Her cold stare turned up towards sound of the string being pulled back. Her cold stare turned up towards the young woman with brown hair.   
  
"I'm taking her to her family. Let us go." Everyone was very still. Finally, Relena began to half drag her weak friend. Natria's eyes narrowed and she was prepared to shoot, but Heero raised his hand to halt her.   
  
"We will see them again."   
  
Duo looked down from his aunt's dug grave. It was only a shallow one and hadn't been covered yet. His body ached all over by now. With broken bones, he found it difficult to do anything other than breath. Surprisingly, he flung a hand out when Hilde stepped forward and she left him in peace to struggle with the shovel and dry dirt. After a long while, Duo laid his aunt to rest. No tears, no mourning, only acceptance. Being so weak, he couldn't lift the shovel. Finally he sat down and shoved the excess dirt into the hole, forever burying his aunt.   
  
"Ramma…" The wind whispered past his face. Sadness. He turned back toward the young woman.   
  
"Would you just take Lucrezia and leave?" he growled at her harshly. She didn't move. Duo let out a cry of frustration. "What do you want? You obliviously are not planning on killing me." Still, no change. Duo threw an arm up and walked away. His side still ached unbelievably but he continued on in the direction of the remains of the homes. As he made his way towards Relena's house, his eyes caught something. A hand… it was hanging out from the burnt building. Duo stumbled forwards and stared in horror. A rare wedding band was on the ring finger. He placed his hands over a trembling mouth. She was gone… how could it have happened like this? She was one of the kindest people he had ever met. Relena… who was going to tell her. He certainly couldn't. He wasn't going to be the bringer of bad news. His nickname was Shinigami… 'God of Death.' He may be Shinigami, but he was not a deliverer of bad news. Mr. Peacecraft was sitting in the rubble nearby. He looked dejected… almost like a sitting corpse. He had a blond beard and his long white hair was tied back in a ponytail. He was an older and weathered Zechs.   
  
"Mr. Peacecraft!" Duo shot up and ran to the other man's side. The once cheerful man with gleaming blue eyes were now dull and empty with a dream like state. He didn't see Duo, he only saw a young man. The young man who might have been the one to kill his wife. Relena's father felt the insanity take hold and then the fury seized his mind completely. Shooting up, Mr. Peacecraft yanked out a knife and went for the young man's throat. Through his fury, he couldn't see the young man in shock and horror. Before the knife could draw the blood Mr. Peacecraft craved, someone knocked Duo out of the way.   
  
"You idiot! Wouldn't you know better than to approach a grieving man?" grumbled Hilde as she kept her eyes on the raving man. At the moment, the man was hunched over, breathing heavily. When Duo did not answer, Hilde glanced back in concern.   
  
"Are you all right," she asked gruffly. Duo nodded as his pain began to recede. Hilde faced the crazed man. "You come closer old man, you'll be making friends with the dead."   
  
"Father!" It was a cry of shock. Relena came running forward, bearing Dorothy to sit next to Duo. The man's daughter ran to his side, but before he could reach him Hilde stopped her by grabbing her arm as she went by.   
  
"Let me go!" Relena struggled. "Father!"   
  
"Your father has gone crazy. He won't know you."   
  
"Yes he will! I'm his daughter!"   
  
"He's grieving your mother…"   
  
"M… my mother?" The glazed look of shock and then pure desperation. Relena looked around quickly. "Where is she? What do you mean by grieving?" The look in Duo's eyes answered her and with a cry of filled sorrow, Relena shot forward to hold her father. He only stood very still. His blank eyes seemed to flash with something. Slowly, His arms began to come up.   
  
"Relena! Look out!" yelled Dorothy, but Relena did not move. As Mr. Peacecraft's arms came up they only encircled his sobbing daughter. His head bowed and his eyes closed. When they opened they were no longer clouded, but clear and filled with tears.   
  
"Relena…" he whispered. She only cried harder. "It's going to be all right. I'm back." Finally, Relena pulled away with tears in her eyes.   
  
"Mother… she's dead."   
  
"I know, honey… It's going to be all right." The others only stared on in acknowledgement, but with their looks of grief. Dorothy looked up when some movement caught her eye. Her eyes widened in joy.   
  
"Cathy! Wufei!" The two with a stranger stopped in front of them.   
  
"Cathy's parents died and she wishes to see them," stated Wufei sadly.   
  
"Mrs. Peacecraft died as well," whispered Duo to Wufei. His friend's eyes saddened more as the news was told to him. His face turned to stare at the grieving father and daughter.   
  
"What of Milliardo?"   
  
"We haven't see him and Lucrezia since the beginning of the attack. Maybe he went and dropped her somewhere," he said sarcastically. Trowa shot forward as well as Hilde.   
  
"What do you mean by that?" yelled Hilde.   
  
"I'm saying maybe he dumped her out in the desert!" Duo shouted back, but quickly calmed down and clutched his side.   
  
"Or… maybe, he protected her from the attackers," came a deep voice from behind. Everyone turned to find Milliardo.   
  
"Zechs!" cried Relena. She pulled away from her father's arms and ran to embrace her brother. Zechs returned it with a wince of pain, but Relena did not notice it.   
  
"Where were you?" asked Relena at last. She looked up into her brother's eyes.   
  
"We hid in the bushes for a while. We saved as many people as we could, but it was difficult." His sister nodded in understanding.   
  
"How are mother and father?" asked Zechs. No one would meet Zechs' eyes. He immediately went on alert. His eyes scanned everyone's' eyes.   
  
"What happened?" Zechs gripped Relena's shoulders and shook lightly. "What has happened?" he repeated. She only looked away. Zech looked up and desperately sought out an answer. He spotted his father and proceeded over to him.   
  
"Father, what has happened? Where is mother? Has she fallen ill?" Silence. "Tell me!"   
  
"She's gone, Zechs," stated Duo sadly. Zechs turned on him.   
  
"Gone? What do you mean? When will she be back?"   
  
"She's not…" Duo trailed off. Silence reigned.   
  
"No…" Zechs stalked forward and grabbed Duo's sore shoulders. "Where is she?" he yelled. Duo only remained silent. Zechs' hands tightened in anger and Duo's pain began to show. Hilde rushed forward and glared up at Zechs.   
  
"The man has fractured ribs and pulled muscles, would you let go of him?" she stated vehemently. Zechs looked down on Duo's pained face with new eyes. He quickly backed off and stared around the saddened faces. Finally he looked down in defeat. She was gone. For some strange reason he thought she would always be around, but it wasn't to be.   
  
Slowly, Zechs looked up to everyone standing there and his eyes caught the young man and woman of the Dead Soul tribe. His eyes flared.   
  
"Here we go," mumbled Trowa as the oncoming storm flew in.   
  
"You are to blame for this! If it were not for your tribe we would not be suffering right now!" Zechs stepped forward and tackled Trowa. Cathy let out a cry of shock. The sounds of punches being thrown filled the air. Suddenly, a small click of metal against metal stopped everyone cold. All eyes turned to the young man holding a ready gun. Heero nodded to Trowa, who was lying on his back with a drip of blood running from the corner of his mouth. The brown haired young man got up slowly and stood next to his friend. Heero held all the others at gunpoint. Hilde slowly took Lucrezia's arm and led her as well. As they made their way towards Heero, Hilde glanced at the gun.   
  
"Where did you get that?" she asked.   
  
"My dad." Suddenly, from afar, the leader's voice drifted over to them.   
  
"Stop! You cannot take her! She is a prisoner." Wufei grumbled an expletive. The leader came running with the rest of the village. The leader acted as if Heero wasn't holding a gun. He was right up in his face yelling at the top of his lungs.   
  
"What do you think you're doing?!"   
  
"We've only come to retrieve our tribesman. We will leave with your agreement of our safety."   
  
"I will do no such thing! That barbarian is a prisoner and she won't leave!"   
  
"You have no choice. If you will not let Lucrezia go willingly, then we will have to take her by force. Starting with you." Heero pointed the gun at the leader, who froze in horror. Mr. Peacecraft stepped forward.   
  
"Please, take her and leave. We don't wish for anymore bloodshed." Heero began to turn away, taking Mr. Peacecraft's request, but the leader's raving continued.   
  
"Serio! You are not in charge! I still run this tribe and I have said she is not leaving!"   
  
"Do you value a prisoner more than your life?" growled Wufei. The leader turned on him.   
  
"Stop!" screamed Relena. Everyone turned to her in shock. The grieving girl glared over at the raging leader.   
  
"You have already caused enough destruction!" she yelled with anger. The leader's eyes narrowed.   
  
"You dare to accuse me of that? I was planning on sending you to Second Tokyo, but I know of an easier way of doing so. Your family has always been a thorn in my side." He turned to Heero.   
  
"You will have my promise of your safety, if you take that wretch." Gasps of shock were heard even from Hilde and Natria.   
  
"What kind of man abandons his own tribesmen?" whispered Lucrezia. Tenseness filled the air until finally, Heero answered.   
  
"Fine." He began to walk away. As they did, Trowa and Quatre stepped forward to drag Relena along. She struggled but after the attack, she was so exhausted. Zechs and Mr. Peacecraft shot forward but immediately stopped as Heero repointed his gun at them.   
  
"We're leaving." The leader smiled and turned back towards the villagers.   
  
"All of the orphans will be sent to Second Tokyo! Duo! Cathy and Joshua!" Trowa stopped in mid-stride and turned back around as Cathy was being roughly dragged away and the baby was being pried from her arms. She kicked and fought fiercely. Looking at the other villagers, he only saw mindless, empty people, doing as told. Duo's small cry of pain caught Hilde's attention.   
  
"Hey!" she cried as she ran towards Duo. Some villagers immediately stopped her. "He's hurt!" Heero turned to see the commotion. Shaking his head, he turned back to the crowd.   
  
"We want the orphans," he spat out. They were far from orphans. They were all about 17 or 18 years old. His father was not going to like this. Heero figured he would pay for it later, but seeing that they were all going to be distracted if left from this late occurrence. The leader glared at Heero.   
  
"Those orphans are apart of this tribe! They will bring in earnings for us." Heero raised the gun once again.   
  
"We're taking them." He pointed the gun at the men pulling away Cathy and Duo. They were immediately released. Cathy snatched away her wailing brother from the man who had taken him away earlier. Cathy and Duo made their way towards the Dead Soul tribesmen.   
  
"Stop!" raved the old leader. "I will not allow this!" The ringing of a gun filled the air and everyone stared on as a small cut opened up along the temple of the old man. A small trickle of blood seeped out and a gasp filled the crowd. The leader remained in shock for long moments, opening and closing his mouth in dismay. By the time the shock had worn off, Heero and the others were gone, dragging Relena along behind. Wufei's hands were clutched with anger. Their leader was to blame and as well as those barbarians! He was going to get his friends back. 


	6. triwa5

Chapter 5  
  
"Let me go! I can't leave Father now! No! Stop!" Duo and Cathy glanced at her in defeat. She had not realized that she no longer had anywhere else to go. Suddenly, Relena spun and kneed Trowa in the stomach and tripped Quatre she was running back towards the village.   
  
"Relena!" yelled Cathy as the she made to take off after her, but an arm shot out to stop her. Cathy glanced at Heero and then stared worriedly after her friend. Suddenly, Relena stopped running, as if the whole world had caught up to her now. Slowly, she collapsed, letting out a heart-wrenching cry. Duo turned his head away as Cathy's vision began to blur with tears.   
  
"She's realized there's nothing she can do. It's completely out of her control," said Natria quietly. Without a word, Heero began to walk up to Relena. The heat of the desert made a watery vision of her figure. His throat tightened. At that very moment, she looked like a desert princess. Finally, he stopped in front of her only to stare down at her bowed head coldly. Relena looked up with tears running down her pained face. Her eyes held so much pain, it ripped at Heero to see it. The only way to relieve it was… Heero raised his gun to point it at her forehead. She closed her eyes waiting. When nothing happened she looked up.   
  
"Please…" she begged when she saw his hesitation. Why couldn't he do it? Why? She had even asked him. "I want to be with my mother." Still… nothing Relena stood achingly and walked towards Heero. She reached up and took the tip of the weapon and placed it at her heart. "Please," she begged yet again with tears in her eyes. He couldn't do it. Heero yanked his gun back and stepped away quickly. Relena's own eyes became dull with confusion. Heero began to walk away, but stopped for a moment.   
  
"Your mother would have wanted you to live. Come on we have a long way to go." She stared at his back as he walked away.   
  
It took a day and a half for them to finally reach the Dead Soul tribe. Lucrezia was greeted with a few waves and nods. The looks quickly turned to the four new arrivals, eyeing them contemptuously. Duo's world seemed to narrow to just walking. That was all he could do. His life was not his own. Earlier, Relena had asked him what they were. Refugees, wanderers, or prisoners. He simply didn't care.   
  
They made their way to a large shack near the middle of the village. Heero entered as the others waited outside. For a long time there was no sound and then raised voices could be heard. Suddenly, the door of the small flew open and a large man loomed in its place. His eyes scanned the small crowd that had gathered outside. Finally, his gaze landed on the White Banshee tribesmen. He stormed closer and examined the banished. Cathy cringed away, right into Quatre, who placed his hands on her shoulders to support her. She quickly recovered her balance and stood next to Relena, who was staring defiantly at his large man. His eyes were the same as Heero's. Prussian and calculatingly cold… a predator stocking its prey. Suddenly, the intense gaze was broken by Heero jumping in. His own eyes met his father's.   
  
"Why did you bring those barbarians?" screamed his father.   
  
"They were our key to safety," replied Heero simply.   
  
"You could have killed them on the way here!"   
  
"You told us to avoid bloodshed at all costs!"   
  
"I never told you to bring them here!" Heero glared up at his father.   
  
"Did I have any other choice… Father?" Mr. Yuy only stood silently, but finally spun away.   
  
"They will live as outcasts here, or they may leave, either way, they'll starve." At that last statement the rest of the tribe turned away and continued on with whatever they were doing before. Hesitantly, Hilde, Natria, Quatre, and Trowa turned away and walked off in various directions. Joshua chose that moment to begin to cry. Trowa glanced over his shoulder an caught a glimpse of Cathy cuddling her baby brother. Tears misted her eyes as she watched Trowa leave.   
  
"Relena, I…" Lucrezia was stopped by Relena's shaking head.   
  
"Don't say anything. Leave it as it is. Just go." Lucrezia wanted to say more, but by the doomed looks on their faces, she decided to follow Relena's directions. Slowly, Lucrezia turned off in the same direction as the others. Heero remained, but he too began to walk away.   
  
"Hey, wait a minute!" yelled Duo. Heero stopped and glanced over at Relena, who was only staring down at the ground. Her hair shielded her eyes from his view.   
  
"What about us?" cried Duo.   
  
"What about you?" asked Heero indifferently.   
  
"Isn't there somewhere you can put us up?"   
  
"It's not my problem." Heero turned away.   
  
"It damn well is your problem! You brought us here!"   
  
"Would you have preferred I killed you?" Relena's fists clenched in anger and despair. Then the reminder of her mother's face came to her, smiling and laughing. Her eyes were stinging.   
  
"I don't know! Maybe you should have!"   
  
"That could be arranged."   
  
"Fine!" The tears poured down Relena's face and littering the ground like diamonds.   
  
"Stop it! Duo it doesn't matter anymore. Not to him at least. Only we can get through this." Her eyes glittered with the moisture as she looked up to stare at Heero in the face.   
  
"We can leave if we want." Heero merely shrugged and Relena's stance stiffened. "We won't though." Duo's jaw dropped and Cathy stopped paying attention to Joshua.   
  
"What? Are you crazy?! I…" cried Duo.   
  
"He brought us here, therefore we will have to stay. I'm not running from this. Besides where else is there to go?" Duo saw her point and nodded hesitantly.   
  
"Do you have a garbage heap?" she asked Heero. He nodded blankly. "Will you please take us there?"   
  
"Just find it yourself." With that, Heero walked away. The idea of finding the garbage wasn't hard. A trail of garbage made is way out of the village.   
  
Relena immediately began to dig through it and pull out old clothes and clothe that some had stupidly thrown away because of smells. Duo and Cathy's noses wrinkled when they caught a whiff.   
  
"I'll wash them," assured Relena. She continued to find various items they needed. Relena made a needle out of an old rusty nail. Duo somehow constructed a shovel out of old junk. He only grinned at Cathy and Relena's question looks.   
  
"This'll be our new home. You'll see. Relena nodded in understanding and began to dig more. By the time they had gathered enough items Relena led the way back towards the village. As they made their way through the middle of the crowds, all began to stare at them. Out of nowhere a rock flew and hit Relena in the shoulder. She nearly lost her grip on the old material, but she quickly recovered and kept going. Cathy and Duo followed hesitantly behind. Suddenly another rock flew and struck Cathy in the back and then flew another. A roar of hate filled the people who only wished to drive away these intruders.   
  
Lucrezia shoved her way through the crowd and stood protectively over her friends. Duo looked up when the onslaught stopped suddenly.   
  
"Stop it!" yelled Lucrezia.   
  
"Drive the barbarians out!" someone screamed. At this point, Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Natria, and Hilde had run out a small house, try9ing to see what was causing all the commotion. Trowa's eyes narrowed when he saw the trickle of blood dripping from a cut on Cathy's cheek.   
  
"Leave them alone," cried Lucrezia.   
  
"They've turned you on us!"   
  
"No! They… they helped me…"   
  
"Get rid of them!" Angrier yells followed, but they quickly died down as Mr. Yuy stepped forward.   
  
"I apologize for my son who has brought these heathens into our community. So to pay for this punishment, he will have to accompany them in and around the village from sunrise to sunset! Trowa Barton shall as well."   
  
"What did I do?" yelled Trowa from the doorway.   
  
"If you hadn't dared Lucrezia this wouldn't have happened!" Trowa was immediately silent. Mr. Yuy turned back to the crowd.   
  
"Just ignore the intruders and consider them as a shame to my son until said otherwise." The villagers nodded agreeing upon this and began to walk away with hateful glances at the White Banshee tribesmen.   
  
"Heero! Trowa! Come here." Heero and Trowa walked up slowly and glared over at their considered enemies. "You will accompany them until the shadow of that pole hits our house." With that Mr. Yuy stormed away. The young people were left in silence. Finally, Heero and Trowa made a move to leave, but Relena headed off in another. Heero glared back at her.   
  
"Where are you going?" he demanded.   
  
"To find a place to stay," Relena retorted.   
  
"I'm not going there."   
  
"That's too bad, because I'm going this way. Come on Duo, Cathy." Relena began to walk off in another direction. Duo and Cathy glanced at each other and followed their friend. Rolling their eyes, Heero and Trowa followed as well, figured there was nothing else to do.   
  
Duo weakened easily, leaving Cathy and Relena to do most of the digging. After reaching a small distance from the outside of the village. Duo had explained a method of making a home for them. Relena and Cathy quickly understood and set to work. Heero and Trowa watched with mild interest as they all traded off the shovel. As the sun was right over them, they had dug a pathway into the ground and had begun to dig out a large hold into the dirt. It was softer below the hard dry surface. At the time, Relena stood and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was staring up at the sun, checking the time when Duo reached around and took the shovel from her. She gave him an annoyed glare.   
  
"Duo, you just stopped an hour ago. I still have a little while left to do."   
  
"Stop whining and just let me do this!" Duo began to shovel once again. The small hole had now turned into a door leading into more of a small hole. But cramped as well and a pile of dirt had accumulated outside the door. Cathy saw this and carefully placed the sleeping baby in Relena's arms and proceeded to pull out dirt out of the doorway. Trowa had realized what was happening and watched closely. He had heard that the White Banshee had a method of making homes with only a shovel and a specific herb that had appeared right after the global disaster. He was now seeing this legendary method. He saw and remembered every method they were using.   
  
Finally, Duo came out of the hole.   
  
"Cathy, you better get going if you want to be back by sunset."   
  
"Fine. Relena, take care of Joshua would you?"   
  
"Sure." Cathy turned and began to walk in the direction they had come from earlier.   
  
"Where is she going?" growled Heero.   
  
"To get some herbs."   
  
"Trowa, you better go with her." Trowa was gone right away.   
  
"You know we would like some privacy," glared Relena.   
  
"You heard Father." She merely rolled her eyes and rocked Joshua lovingly. Heero's heart twinged at the sight.   
  
"Relena, would you be able to help me pull out the dirt and pack it?" Relena nodded and stood. It was then she remembered Joshua and eyed Heero, who was giving her a warning glare. She ignored it and lightly placed the baby in Heero's unwilling arms. Smiling sweetly, she turned around and joined Duo. Heero's eyes followed her with a glare of annoyance, then he turned his eyes to the little baby in his arms and his eyes softened. The baby's luminous blue-green eyes shined up at him curiously. It was as if their eyes had melded. They were not of different in tribes. The young was looking at the knowing. The baby seemed to grin up at Heero for a moment and Heero felt a strange protectiveness for the child. The small spell that was weaving its way around them was broken suddenly by a squeal from Joshua and a whoosh of loud air. The smell reached Heero's nose and his face wrinkled in protest. Relena turned at the sound smiled wryly. Taking her time, Relena dusted off her hands and walked towards Heero. Smiling, she lifted Joshua away from Heero. A bucket of water had been brought and Relena used some of it to wash Joshua. She put up Joshua's wet pants to dry in the sun and returned the baby to Heero's arm, who hesitantly received him. Relena was smiling slightly and returned to her earlier work. Duo had only glanced to see what Relena was doing, but quickly returned to removing the dirt. After a few more minutes of the sound of a shovel and haggard breathing, Relena glanced up and smiled when she saw Joshua attempt to stuff his slobbery fist into Heero's face, who stealthily avoided the onslaught.   
  
"A little spit never hurt anyone," smiled Relena as she leaned on a packed wall of dirt. Heero didn't even respond to her. He was too busy trying to avoid another ball of slobber. Smirking, Relena took a handful of dry dirt and knelt next to Heero and Joshua. Smiling warmly at the baby, she rubbed the dirt all over the fist, and then returned to packing. Heero was confused for a moment and then saw what Relena had done. With the heat, the dirt dried up the slobber by absorbing it and then crumbling off. When Joshua saw something more interesting, Heero's gaze returned to the two White Banshee tribesmen. Then his eyes remained on Relena. She felt his gaze and looked up, flipped her hair and returned to her work.   
  
When Cathy realized that young man, Trowa, was following her, she quickened her pace. He didn't seem bothered by this because he caught up quickly. She glared at him, giving the message that she didn't want him there. When he only kept walking along her side she sighed and shook her head.   
  
"I'm not going to run for it you know."   
  
"I know. It's not sunset yet." She rolled her eyes.   
  
"You could stay with the others."   
  
"You're going through the village." It was then Cathy noticed she was receiving angry glares. She held her head high and ignored the hostilities. As if remembering, the villagers ignored them as they passed Cathy mentally relaxed.   
  
"What herb are you looking for?"   
  
"There isn't a name for it."   
  
"Maybe you ought to make one for it if others are going to use it in the future."   
  
"We are of White Banshee, no one in your village will use it and the method has only been told of, since the leader's family died in a collapsing dug out. That's what made him go crazy. He wouldn't permit us to make them anymore, but the adults told us the method in every detail so if we should ever need it…" Cathy trailed away sadly. She no longer belonged to White Banshee. She was homeless. But she was building a home!… It wasn't a home… it was only a mimic of it. At her sudden sadness, Trowa immediately saw her thoughts. To Cathy's surprise, Trowa stopped and placed a hand on her shoulder. She glanced at his hand and then at his face. It was like a mask had been taken off and his sympathy showed through. The sympathy made tears come to her eyes. She hated sympathy. If she hadn't left her tribe she wouldn't be accepting it right now. If she were back at the tribe right now, where everyone was mourning and wouldn't give her any. Those damn tears. One slipped down her cheek, then another, and soon the floodgate was opened. The sorrow was going to swamp her.   
  
"Damn you!" she yelled. They were nearly out of the village but a villager or two still saw this. Trowa's hand tightened on her shoulder, but she yanked away. With lightening speed he grabbed both of her shoulders again and dragged her against him. His arms held her tightly against his unyielding chest. It was an embrace she was surely never to forget. Her tears fell hard and fast. The villagers witnessing this suddenly felt their hearts sadden at the young woman's heart wrenching sobs, but they all quickly turned away.   
  
"Trowa heard Cathy mumbling something.   
  
"Cathy?" Her sobs were harder.   
  
"Mama…" she cried. Her tears were hot and searing on Trowa's bare chest. Swiftly, he picked up Cathy and began to walk in the direction they were headed before. She didn't resist but continued to cry. Finally, Trowa stopped. He didn't know how long they had been walking. His arms held on tightly to the young outcast. Cathy looked up as if she had just found they had moved. Her eyes met with Trowa's, holding pent up pain. Hesitantly, he lowered his lips so they were close to her own. She inhaled quickly. His lips let out small gusts of breath, sweeping over her face. Her eyes fluttered shut. Finally his lips descended and began to kiss her wet cheeks, sipping up her tears. They delicately ran over the bridge of her nose, the other cheek, her forehead and finally her lips. It was a light caress at first, then more intense. Her breath stopped completely. He was careful and Cathy responded to his caring acts. They parted for air and stared at one another for long moments that spanned the universe's own time. Letting out a sigh of surrender, Trowa took her lips once again, except more fiercely this time. Cathy couldn't help but cling to him. His lips were magic. This… this was what made all of it livable. This made it a little less painful.   
  
Their embrace of lips and souls melded together a life long struggle and a promise of eternal happiness. There were no tribes, or hostilities… only each other and their eternal embrace. 


	7. triwa6

Chapter 6  
  
Zechs could feel the rage towards the leader for the decision he had made for his sister. There was nothing he could do at the time being. He had to stay with his tribe. They still followed the leader's control. It was twisted; all of it was, hell, the whole world was twisted. The leader was old and a new leader would have to be chosen. He would take that place. It was the only way to bring them out of this despair.   
  
(3 years pass)   
  
Relena smiled when she saw Joshua running towards her dugout from the tribe. He was four of age now. Being that Trowa had asked Cathy a year later after they had arrived to marry him, Relena had the dugout to herself. It was larger than Duo's because she had shared it with Cathy. They were all still shunned and Trowa was treated with less respect, but he still maintained his friendships with Heero, Quatre, Hilde, Natria, and Lucrezia.   
  
"Rewena!" cried the little toddler. Trowa and Cathy followed slightly behind, smiling as Cathy's brother leaped into Relena's arms. Duo walked over and pat the little boy's head. Then quickly picked him up, throwing him up in the air, causing Joshua to let out a squeal of laughter.   
  
"Duo! Be careful!" Cathy called the traditional warning and Duo gave the usual grunt in reply. Someone else was there as well.   
  
"Lucrezia!" cried Relena. She ran forward and embraced the older woman, who returned in kind.   
  
"I'm sorry I haven't been by in a while I had guard duty the last few evenings and I'm exhausted.   
  
"It's all right. It's great to see you." Lucrezia smiled.   
  
"Anything new?"   
  
"Well, I've sold some more herbs."   
  
"That's great! You're becoming more popular now."   
  
"Slowly, but surely."   
  
"Relena, Cathy and I need to talk to yo9u, about your tribe." Relena's eyes saddened.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"We've been told that your brother was made the new leader and plans to come back for you." Tears welled up in her eyes.   
  
"Milliardo…" Joy, returning pain, remembrance, everything returned in a matter of seconds. The strange thing was she was happy with her life now.   
  
"Who knows of this?" asked Duo hesitantly.   
  
"Almost everyone," answered Lucrezia. The thought of seeing Zechs again was breathtaking. Duo's curse brought her back to the situation.   
  
"That means we may be kicked out." In the distance, Heero could be seen coming from the village. He had, even after his father revoked the punishment, continued to visit out of habit. His presence was almost required now for each do to Relena. He never spoke much and still treated them as foreigners, but he still came. Relena never tried to examine why. Every time she did start, she would become distracted from her thoughts. He was always acting coldly towards them. Exactly, the same way he was three years earlier. Joshua spotted Heero and immediately struggled from Duo's grasp to run into Heero's arms. It seemed as if Heero only smiled to Joshua. Everyone stared at Heero as he came closer. Finally, he stood before them. All of them had changed physically, but Heero's cold demeanor never did.   
  
"I assume you've heard the news, he said stoically. Relena nodded. Heero glanced at Trowa and he took the message.   
  
"Come on, Duo, can we go inside? It's really hot out."   
  
"Sure." They made their way into the other dugout. Heero refused to let Relena go by. She glared at him.   
  
"What are you doing?" she said with annoyance.   
  
"I need to figure out some things."   
  
"Fine, what?"   
  
"Let's go into your dugout." Relena shrugged and Heero followed to the opening. When they were inside, Relena lit a candle in the corner. Heero's eyes ran over the space. Two straw mats, small table, a pail for water, and other than that it was bare. A corner held the herbs for Relena.   
  
"Now, what do you want?" She sat on the mat and gave him her full attention.   
  
"I want to know if you plan on leaving.   
  
"I don't know. I would be home again. Heero almost flinched at that, but he trained his face into a scowl.   
  
"You know of course, what'll happen if you leave, don't you?" Her look was questioning.   
  
"I assume nothing will happen."   
  
"You have been supplying my people with medicine and rudiments. If you leave, the sick will die because they have grown accustomed to your medicine. If I'm correct, several are still sick and any income of medicine being stopped they will become even worse."   
  
"They will not be sick forever." Heero grit his teeth.   
  
"But my mother will!" Relena was shocked by this outburst.   
  
"I didn't know you even had a mother." Heero's eyes narrowed.   
  
"That's because she's been sick since I was born. She's been getting better gradually because of your medicine."   
  
"Heero…"   
  
"I won't let you leave."   
  
"I… But… home… I want to go home."   
  
That home abandoned you remember!" yelled Heero ruthlessly. It was harsh, but he wasn't about to let her go. Her eyes shimmered.   
  
"My family is there! My father… my brother… my friends…"   
  
"And you have no friends here?   
  
"Yes but…"   
  
"You're not leaving.   
  
"To tell you truthfully, I can leave because there isn't any required obligation for me here! It's your own people's fault they grew to need me, but I did not force, I offered."   
  
"Required obligation? You have none back at your tribe!"   
  
"My family is enough!" Heero scoffed.   
  
"They didn't come after you did they!"   
  
"Stop it…" Her voice cracked. He didn't let up.   
  
"They could have come to get you! They could have tried!"   
  
"No… they were… they couldn't… they…"   
  
"Face it Relena. The only thing you could do is stay. It's the only place you are required." Relena's head was bowed she spoke in a sorrow-filled, hoarse voice.   
  
"You're cruel… Heero Yuy. For three years…" She looked up with tearful eyes. "For three eyras! I've waited to go home!" she yelled. "And even now you're trying to take that away! Everything! It was all cruelty. I wanted to be relieved of my pains… you refused, me that three years ago to live with shame for being who I am! You take me from my home! My life! Now it's like you're taking it away again!"   
  
"You talk of that now, but think about it! This is your home! IT was three years ago and it is now! Now all you have to do is accept this! Cathy has!"   
  
"That's not fair! I have a family back in my tribe! That's all I want!"   
  
"You want family? Fine let me be your family!" Relena froze, blinked once, twice.   
  
"Y… you would be my family?" Heero was horrified at what he had said. He finally shook himself.   
  
"In exchange for my mother's life." Relena's eyes watered.   
  
"A bargained family? Is that what you think I'll settle for?"   
  
"Why don't you come and see my mother?" he stated icily. "I will do anything to help her." Relena went silent. She knew Heero well enough to know he sacrificed a lot to say that and his offer made it even more meaningful. Then he said something she thought she would never hear him say earnestly. "Please." Her eyes watered. As if someone had possessed her, she stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Heero's cheek. His eyes held hers.   
  
"All right. Fore the exchange, I agree." Heero nodded slowly. For some reason he became fascinated with her mouth. For a moment, he was afraid he was going to kiss her, but he abruptly pulled back.   
  
"Do I have your word?" Hesitantly, she nodded.   
  
"Can we make a blood oath?" Relena nodded again. Heero pulled out a knife and swiftly cut open his palm and Relena gave him her left hand. He quickly cut her palm as well. He took some of his blood and made a cross on her forehead as a sign of eternal binding to her words and she did likewise. Then he twined his hand with hers, letting the mingled blood drip onto the floor of the dugout. He said the traditional words.   
  
"You are mine and I am yours." She repeated him.   
  
"You are mine and I am yours." Relena remembered the day Cathy came to the dugout with a bleeding hand and a faint cross on her forehead. She had left that day to live with Trowa. Things were lonely after that, but Duo kept her company.   
  
They stood staring at one another. At that moment, Relena finally admitted her attraction, but she'd be damned if she said it now. The tears still dripped down her cheeks. Heero let his thumb brush one away. She smiled a little and leaned into his warm hand.   
  
Heero left soon after. The others had waited anxiously outside the other dugout. Duos eyes widened when he saw the red mark on Heero's forehead. Then Relena stepped out into the sunlight as well. She too wore a red mark.   
  
"Oh my God!" cried Cathy as she ran up to her friend. "I can't believe it!" Relena smiled slightly. Her face was pale and she seemed to be in a state of shock.   
  
"I can't believe it either!" Shooting a look over to Lucrezia to follow they walked back into the dugout. Trowa looked at Duo and they exchanged expressions. One of shock and one of total bafflement. Joshua just giggled, oblivious to hat had happened. Then both men looked down at the little boy. Trowa smiled and asked if the young boy wanted to play catch.   
  
"So? Spill it!" cried Lucrezia.   
  
"He said he would be my family here," Relena said simply.   
  
"That's it?" stated Cathy skeptically.   
  
"Well… not really, it wasn't exactly romantic…"   
  
"Tell us anyway!" stated Lucrezia.   
  
"Fine… We got into a fight and…"   
  
"Ha! I told you!" cried Cathy triumphantly to Lucrezia. "That'll be five yen!" Relena's jaw dropped. Cathy merely shrugged.   
  
"Hey your yelling was loud enough to wake the dead!"   
  
"You two are crazy!"   
  
"We know, tell us what the fight was about anyway," pushed Lucrezia.   
  
"Whether or not I should leave because of my obligation to supply medicine." Lucrezia raised her eyebrows.   
  
"Really?"   
  
"I told him I had to leave because of my family…"   
  
"Did he announce his undying love?" asked Cathy. Relena rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long gossip session.   
  
Trowa threw the small leather ball to Duo, who threw it to Joshua, who missed it and ran to get it.   
  
"Hey Trowa… how did you decide to marry Cathy?" The question caught him off guard, so he didn't see the ball fly towards him. He was mowed over by it. Duo walked over and helped Trowa up. He accepted the offered hand.   
  
"Uh… what brought this on?" asked Trowa.   
  
"Well, it seems as if everyone is marrying and since the subject is in the air, I just started to wonder. All I remember is that you had suddenly been with Cathy." Trowa seemed to contemplate this for a long moment.   
  
"I didn't really realize I wanted to marry her until I asked the first time."   
  
"There was a first time?" Trowa nodded grudgingly.   
  
"I couldn't' stand thinking I'd have to live my life without having her by my side. I didn't care about what the situation was, but she did care. Another mistake was I failed to mention my feelings to her the first time."   
  
"So what happened?"   
  
"I told her the second time after I put both of us through hell for a while, that I loved her. I didn't know to do for a while."   
  
"Is it true?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"That love hurts?"   
  
"Only if you make it hurt. You can make it the best ting in your life, or the total downfall of your whole world." Duo was confused… not confused… shaken to his core.   
  
"So if you do love someone it's better just to not love at all?"   
  
"I didn't say that. I would rather know love then not at all." His friend nodded as he listened to this statement.   
  
"If you love a person, it's always better when you're around them, you don't have to pretend to be someone else because they accept you and you accept them. When they are close to you, your whole body seems to go cold and then on fire in a single instant. A mere look cans send you into a hurricane."   
  
"From what you're telling me, it's an ordeal."   
  
"Yes, but every bit of it is worth it." A flying ball flew straight towards Duo's head, making his eyes bug out as it slammed into his face. Joshua merely laughed and ran forward and tackled Duo, who laughed as the little boy landed on him. A corner of Trowa's mouth went up in a small imitation of a smile.   
  
Heero entered the small hut his father resided in. He stopped in mid-tracks when he saw a young woman and an older man sitting next to his father. Their hands were gripped together in a handshake. Heero's eyes narrowed when he recognized the attire of the newcomers from so many years ago. It was of the tribe that had attacked the White Banshee tribe three years earlier. His eyes caught with the young woman's chocolate eyes. They were filled with an evil loathing directed at him. She was beautiful, but her coldness marred it.   
  
"Mr. Yuy turned around and smiled at his son, who was standing in the shadows.   
  
"Son! You have a bride now! Natamo Yurisho has offered his daughter in matrimony to bring our tribes together."   
  
"Yes, I have a new bride," agreed Heero. His father sighed in relief, realizing his son wasn't going to put up a fight to marriage, but it was quickly dispersed when his son stepped from the shadows.   
  
"But it isn't to her."   
  
"What? But… but to who?" cried his father.   
  
"To Relena." His father's eyes narrowed in fury.   
  
"She has bewitched you."   
  
"No, I asked her myself."   
  
"Father! You promised me honor!" screeched the tribe princess.   
  
"I assumed you would, but evidently Owen Yuy has forgotten this," fumed Yurisho. "We shall demand revenge, since we have been made fools of! No one gets away with mocking the Demon tribe." They both stormed out of the hut leaving the father and son. Heero turned to leave, but his father yelled out his name in fury.   
  
"You fool!"   
  
"Even if I was not going to marry Relena I wouldn't' have married her. They are murderers."   
  
"They are strong!"   
  
"And they would have overwhelmed us. Our tribe would have disappeared."   
  
"Do as you wish but I will not protect you from the others." Heero nodded. "Leave this hut and don't enter it again as my son." He did leave. 


	8. triwa7

Chapter 7  
  
Suya had been promised a pampered life with that life and she had prepared for it, but now she as furious. Whoever this Relena was going to pay. Her father would make sure of that. As soon as they made it to their tribe they sat with the shaman. He sat with folded legs, and closed eyes.   
  
"This girl… she is a survivor. She is of the… White Banshee tribe."   
  
"She is a nobody!" screeched Suya. Her father tried to sooth her.   
  
"Heero Yuy is not sure of his feelings for her." Yurisho smiled evilly.   
  
"If she is of the Banshee Tribe we may be able to do something. She still carries our virus."   
  
"Yes, Yurisho, but if you plan on using it, may I make a suggestion?"   
  
"Please do."   
  
"Let the young man fall for her and then set the virus to work for extended time."   
  
"All the more painful for Yuy. Own will pay as well, Heero more so though. He is the cause of this!"   
  
"I agree Yurisho. I agree very much.   
  
Two people had been located walking towards the tribe. One was a young woman and a young man. Long blond hair fell behind the young woman's back and the young man had black hair tied back. Relena and Cathy watched from the opening of the dugout as they passed by. Cathy's eyes widened.   
  
"Dorothy!" she cried. Duo shot out of his dugout with Trowa and Joshua behind him. The young woman turned around and stared with wide eyes. Tears were pouring down her cheeks.   
  
"Cathy?" she whispered. The other young man turned as well.   
  
"Relena! Duo!"   
  
"Wufei!" A huge reunion followed, filled with shaking hands, tears embracing, and mumbled thanks.   
  
"We thought you were dead!" cried Dorothy.   
  
"No, we're as alive as ever," stated Cathy. Dorothy glanced around and saw Trowa holding Joshua.   
  
"Is that…"   
  
"Yes, that's Joshua." Dorothy smiled and walked over. "Hello Joshua! Last time I saw you, you were so little." The little boy eyed her suspiciously.   
  
"Are you going to throw rocks at us?" Dorothy fell into shock and turned to stare at Cathy, whose head was turned away. Dorothy looked back to Joshua smiling again.   
  
"No darling, of course not! I would never hurt you." Joshua seemed to relax a little.   
  
"Is it okay Daddy?" Joshua asked Trowa. Everyone stiffened. Joshua had grown accustomed to calling Trowa daddy.   
  
"D… DADDY!" cried Wufei. He turned to stare at Cathy.   
  
"Trowa and I have been married for two years now." Silence filled in the tense air. Slowly, Wufei walked over to Trowa.   
  
"If I had wanted Cathy to marry anyone, I wanted it to be you." A sigh of relief ran through the people standing around.   
  
They were all discussing in going to a dugout to talk, but they were interrupted by a mob of raging villagers coming closer. Trowa stood next to Cathy and put an arm around her shoulders protectively. Joshua ran and jumped into Cathy's arms. Wufei stared at the oncoming crowd. Some carried rocks and his eyes narrowed in fury. A child shouldn't have to live in fear because of who they are. Lucrezia stepped out from behind Relena and stood there protectively.   
  
"More barbarians!" someone screamed with outrage.   
  
"Get rid of them!"   
  
"They're filthy heathens!"   
  
"Back off!" screamed someone from the crowd. Everyone became silent as Hilde pushed her way through the crowd and stood with Lucrezia. Quatre saw his friends and quickly ran to join them.   
  
"You're with them!"   
  
"I'm no longer proud of being one of you! We have managed to live peacefully for three years and you are all being the heathens now!" yelled Hilde angrily. Someone threw a stone and it hit Hilde's forehead. She slumped and raised her hands to cover the cut. Duo saw this with furious eyes. He ran forward and held Hilde. She looked up with a weak smile. He grimly stood and faced the crowd. 


	9. triwa8

Chapter 8  
  
"Who threw that!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. His fury radiated over everyone and they began to slink back. He repeated again and all moved back again. Death was staring at them through his eyes. The crowd backed away was Duo walked towards them. As he searched all of their eyes, his own landed on a shivering young man his age.   
  
"Bingo," he whispered. The young man knew he had been caught and turned to run, but Duo was already tackling him. He pulled back his fist and let fly! Others let out groans of their own pain as they watched Duo's administrations. By the time he was done the young man was cringing on the desert floor. Duo spat on the young man and turned back to Hilde who had recovered.   
  
"You don't have to be the knight in shining armor." Duo grinned.   
  
"It wouldn't be any fun if I wasn't." Hilde rolled her eyes. Just then, Heero stepped forward and glared at the crowd. They took the message and began to disperse, several dragging the battered young man. Heero stayed and stared at the arrivals.   
  
"What do you want here?" Heero finally asked.   
  
"We were coming to get our friends," commented Dorothy.   
  
"You're free to take Duo." Dorothy's jaw dropped.   
  
"But what about…"   
  
"Cathy is married to Trowa and Relena is going to be my wife as well.   
  
"What!" cried Wufei.   
  
"It's true," said Relena proudly. "Before you came, I was preparing to leave for his home."   
  
"So…you're not coming with us?" asked Dorothy with a shaking lip.   
  
"No… I'm sorry."   
  
"Duo…"   
  
"I think we should all settle this inside. It's hotter than hell out here!" Everyone did see the up side to this statement made by Lucrezia. They made their way towards one of the dugouts entered with an aura of a death march. Each wore a grim face and Joshua seemed to sense the sudden tense air within the room. He tugged on Duo's sleeve, giving his infamous puppy eyes. To Joshua's chagrin, Duo shook his head seriously and proceeded to seat himself on the cool floor. Joshua crossed his arms and decided to try doing this with Trowa, but got the same response. Finally, realizing that he was not going to get anyone to go outside with him to play ball, he plopped down and quickly found a beetle to play with.   
  
After everyone was settled, Heero was the first to speak.   
  
"You can scratch the idea that Relena and Cathy are going to return with you to your tribe because of their commitments here." Dorothy sent a death glare over at Heero. Quatre, being the peace loving of all of them, jumped in and tried to cool any flaring retorts from Dorothy.   
  
"Their place is with the ones they love and I can see why Heero is so defensive on that particular aspect." Dorothy gave him a peculiar look, but whatever she was planning on saying was quickly forgotten. She took an extra moment to examine the Dead Soul tribesman. She didn't know his name, but she had to admit, he was very good looking. His blond hair and ocean blue eyes made Dorothy feel as if he cooled down a lot of things, she shivered at the thought of being cool instead of hot and sweaty for once. In the back of her mind, she thought that if she were to spend more time with this young man, she would probably not care about the heat as much anymore. Frowning, she turned her attention quickly from where her thoughts were taking her and she turned to her friend Relena.   
  
"So I guess there's no way you would be willing to come back with us at all? No chance in the least?" Relena closed her eyes, as if finally facing a longtime demon and when she opened them again, her eyes held a determination that answered Dorothy before she even spoke.   
  
"I have a commitment here and I need to fulfill that commitment." Dorothy felt one tear seep out. She quickly shook her head and got up, not looking back as she made her way out of the dugout. Relena watched with a saddened expression. Wufei's voice brought her back.   
  
"We were really hoping to bring all of you back. Dorothy had especially high hopes. These last three years have been especially hard on her. She stayed up every night next to the fires, talking of what it would be like if you and Cathy and Duo were to return." Relena bit her lip and looked once again at the doorway that Dorothy had disappeared through.   
  
"Listen… Wufei…" Duo started nervously. "I'm not so sure that I can go with you either." Wufei's face became almost along the line of dejected. Duo quickly tried to explain himself. "You see… I was just beginning to make something of myself here and I don't know what I'm going back to. The White Banshee Tribe officially let us all go and therefore we no longer belong to the tribe…" Wufei was glaring at Duo now.   
  
"Not belong!" he yelled. He jumped up and flashed lightening through his eyes at his longtime friend. "You have White Banshee blood! You have taken the oath of our brethren and ancestors! The tradition of this will fail for the first time in several generations and…" Relena interrupted in a quiet voice.   
  
"Maybe tradition needs to change." Wufei stood stock still in shock. His jaw hung open and he swung his eyes from Duo to Relena and then to Cathy, who pointedly looked away. Trowa placed a protective arm over his wife's shoulders and turned to whisper something to her. She listened quietly and nodded.   
  
"Wufei maybe we should all talk about this when we're not all tired and recovering from the shock of this. I think we all have some thinking to do first. Just stay a little while before you leave at least. You don't have to leave very quickly. It'll give us all time to think." Wufei took a deep breath and nodded, seeing that Cathy was only being logical. Besides Dorothy and he were very tired.   
  
"All right, but we can't stay forever."   
  
"Yes, I now." By now, it had gotten much darker and Cathy pointedly looked at Joshua, who had curled up on Trowa's lap, sucking his thumb as he slept soundly. Wufei stared for a while at the toddler and Lucrezia could have sworn she saw a sense of peace on Wufei's features. Relena then noticed that Quatre had suddenly disappeared out the door and Natria walked in to take his place.   
  
"Hello all, I heard all the commotion and I came to see if everything is doing all right." Lucrezia answered this.   
  
"As well as can be expected being that we were nearly mauled by a rioting mob." The corner of Natria's mouth quirked up ever so slightly. Heero was the first to make a move to leave. As he stood he offered an outstretched hand to Relena. She stared at it for a long moment and then took a deep breath and let Heero lift her from the ground. They quietly made their way out of the dugout.   
  
They neared an empty hut and Relena seemed confused for a moment.   
  
"My mother is allowing us to use her makeshift until I finish our own. It will be next to Trowa and Cathy." Relena smiled now. Heero felt a small burst of pleasure at the thought that he had pleased Relena, but he quickly shook that from his head.   
  
"She is very generous." Heero didn't say anything as he stepped inside the hut and placed a lot on a dimming fire. In moments the small hut was illuminated in light. Relena looked around and saw a few pots in a corner. A mat covered in furs was for the bed. Relena stiffened. She had never thought of bthat/b yet. Her mind was whirling. Heero didn't notice this. Instead, he only made sure the fire was going well on its way. He glanced around and saw the bucket of water and pulled it next to the fire. He indicated for Relena to sit in front of him. With a damp cloth he began to wash her forehead of the blood and then her palm. Relena did the same to his. His hand was large in her own trembling hands. Heero took away the cloth and covered her hands with his own. Their eyes locked.   
  
"Seal it with a kiss," stated Heero. Relena took a deep breath and began to lean forward. Heero did so as well. It was a bare brush of flesh, but the electricity ran through them both. Their eyes flew open and they stared at each other for a moment. Slowly, Heero leaned backing and took her lips. One of his hands reached up and snakes its way behind her neck, pulling her closer. Their lips melded. It was a taste of honey and he wanted more if it. His lips moved over hers with a demanding force. Her fingers clenched in his, but he still refused to let her go. He had thought once of kissing her before but he had quickly squished the idea. His thoughts flew away as he twined his fingers with her own. Leaning a little harder, he managed to lay her out on the floor. Her eyes shot open and she went ridged.   
  
"Heero?" she asked nervously. He silenced her by taking her lips once again. Her mind fell into a haze. She had no control when her hands gripped his shoulders. That need in her belly craved to be fed and as she kissed Heero back she knew he would be the one to fill that need. He lay down on top of her grinding his hips into her own. Now both of his hands gripped hers. His breath was quick as he pulled away and proceeded to place small kisses along her jaw. Relena moved restlessly underneath him. He groaned out her name, his lips recapturing hers. Those blessed lips. He couldn't get enough of them. Relena moved her hands up and down his back. Finally, Heero pulled her into his arms and carried her to their bed.   
  
"You are mind and I am yours," he whispered. His eyes took in her beauty and a pang filled his heart. It was a pressure that only wished to be encouraged. It overwhelmed him, making him feel as if the most precious thing was in his arms. Then he laid her on the mat. After staring for a moment, he lowered himself next to her. The rest of time seemed to stop for them.   
  
The sun poked its way over the horizon and Heero's eyes opened slowly. He was still half asleep. Something warm was against him. He liked it so he pulled it closer. A small sigh brought him awake completely. His eyes searched the hut and then they landed on Relena. She was curled up to his side, looking very content. Heero stared in wonderment. She was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen and she was his. That pressure from the earlier night returned. Heero let a hand reach forward and pick up a strand of hair, feeling its texture. Relena's eyes fluttered open and then she was sitting up in shock. She forgot where she was and when she saw she wasn't wearing anything she grabbed for the furs. Heero chuckled. Her eyes frantically looked at him and she began to relax. Heero reached up and drew her back down next to him.   
  
"It wasn't a dream," she whispered. Heero smiled slightly.   
  
"No it wasn't. You're my wife." He leaned down and kissed her deeply. She returned it.   
  
"Should I make breakfast?" she asked breathlessly.   
  
"Later." Heero kissed her again.   
  
"I heard they've been in there all day," Cathy said excitedly.   
  
"Would you settle down! It's none of your business anyway!" cried Dorothy.   
  
"If I remember correctly, you and Trowa didn't come out for quite some time either," stated Hilde with a mischievous smile.   
  
"Sure and I admit I enjoyed every minute of it," said Cathy unfazed. Trowa blushed and shook his head. Cathy did not hesitate to speak her mind.   
  
"Hey Quatre, I heard that brunette has been after for a while. You planning on letting yourself be reeled in?" questioned Hilde. Quatre always guaranteed a blush if he was teased about women.   
  
"I don't really know her that well. She's very nice sometimes, but…"   
  
"She's a bitch the rest of the time," cut in Lucrezia. The others laughed and Quatre turned another shade of red. Dorothy sat strangely silent against the wall.   
  
"Everything seems to be happening way too quickly for just two days," commented Lucrezia.   
  
"I know," commented Dorothy. "Cathy is there anyway you can come visit us? Both you and Relena? There's so much going on. Zechs is changing a lot of things. We're finally beginning to improve our situation." Trowa stiffened at the mentioning of his wife visiting the Banshee tribe. Cathy noticed his stiffness and quickly looked to sooth him of it.   
  
"Are you sure you can't visit us instead?"   
  
"You saw that mob earlier. I don't know if that would be very possible," said Wufei regretfully. Cathy gazed sadly at her friends and she bit her lip with a look of desperation. Suddenly, Trowa's hand landed on her shoulder as he spoke to Dorothy and Wufei.   
  
"I can assure you that she'll come as often as possible." Cathy felt her eyes tear up in joy. She swiftly lunged at Trowa and embraced him. He smiled a little and held her back.   
  
"Thank you," she whispered. His eyes were gentle when he kissed her forehead.   
  
"When are you planning on leaving?" asked Lucrezia.   
  
"Anytime Duo is ready," said Wufei. Duo seemed to frown at this statement. Before he could say anything Hilde spoke up from across the dugout.   
  
"I went home last night… My parents were furious with my actions yesterday. I'm not to return under their roof as their daughter because I have betrayed the tribe." Her eyes were downcast, but everyone could hear the deep sadness in her voice.   
  
"Oh, Hilde…" breathed Lucrezia sympathetically. Hilde continued.   
  
"I wish to go with you to your tribe, maybe start fresh if I can." Wufei looked at Dorothy and they exchanged looks.   
  
"I guess, if you believe that's what you want. I can't promise that you'll be accepted," said Wufei. Hilde nodded in understanding.   
  
"I realize that, but it's less painful to go there instead of being scorned among my own people and family."   
  
"All right. So Duo and Hilde are to come home with us." Wufei turned to eye Duo to make sure there weren't any arguments. There were none.  
  
"It seems as if everyone is leaving," said Lucrezia. "Or just changing." Everyone was silent at this putting an awkward feeling in the air. "Why is it that I feel as if something big is something?" thought Quatre grimly.   
  
Heero agreed to take Relena back to the dugout to retrieve her things. The day before he hadn't given her much time to prepare to leave for her new home. To say honestly he head no clue as into what he was doing. She was pretty incredible, he head to admit. Last night was amazing but even after that he felt hesitant towards her. It was almost as if he was afraid. What the hell was he afraid of? He shook his head and picked their pace.   
  
Relena stared at him I surprise, then her eyes fell to her feet. He hadn't said anything to her after they had gotten up. It was after he had gotten dressed when he had mentioned going to he dugout and told her to get dressed as well. The whole time he acted distantly towards her, as if she was still that outcast from three years ago. At that thought, her eyes began to sting. What had she done? She had traded her true happiness for something she was sure that would not matter to Heero. She had also noticed that he wouldn't touch her unless it was absolutely necessary.   
  
Relena was a person who survived on loving touches and looks. From the time she was a baby and even over the last three years when she had Duo and Cathy, but now…   
  
"What are you thinking?" Heero asked suddenly.   
  
'Just how used and betrayed I feel,' she thought, but aloud she said, "Nothing." Heero didn't say anything further. The dugouts were coming into view now. There was a group of people sitting in a circle on the ground. They seemed to be immersed in conversation. Cathy was the one to look up and see the approaching couple. She waved at them.   
  
"Hey you two! I see you've finally decided to join the living!" Relena blushed and sat down. She stated a greeting to everyone.   
  
"So what was it that you guys were talking about?"   
  
"You!" said Dorothy jokingly. The others laughed as Heero grunted and sat down as well. Wufei noticed that he sat away from Relena instead of next to her like expected. His eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right with this.   
  
"Don't worry Relena, we weren't making fun of you too much. To tell you honestly we're just getting into a conversation of how the Banshee and Dead Soul tribes became enemies." Relena raised her eyebrows in interest.   
  
"Really? And what have you come up with?"   
  
"Well, Dorothy and Wufei insist that Dead Soul had stolen sheep from White Banshee, but Lucrezia, Trowa and Hilde are valiantly saying Banshee raided Dead Soul," stated Cathy. This surprised Relena because as she looked around the circle of faces, she saw there were no harsh looks or death glares. The conversation they had was only a good-natured opinion. It was as if none of them were enemies. They looked normal. Relena realized that they were a fourth generation of a mass disaster. This is what it could have been. Relena mentally shook her head and proceeded to laugh with her old and recent friends.   
  
P.  
  
Dorothy and Wufei eventually left with Duo and Hilde as well. Relena watched them with tearful eyes. She wished Hilde luck with her tribe and new home, knowing Duo would take care of her. After they had left things had finally begun to settle down. The Dead Should tribe left the outcasts alone to their daily lives. It was several months before anything began to stir.   
  
"Relena was lonely most of the time. Heero kept on appearing and disappearing from her life. She contemplated her feelings when she saw Cathy standing outside putting up the wash. Joshua had decided to stay with Lucrezia for the day. She smiled happily when Trowa walked out and hooked an arm around her shoulders. She bent down and placed his forehead against hers and whispered something that cased Cathy to laugh and turn to embrace him. Relena stared on with a pained envy. Heero never openly showed his affection at that very moment. Something was slowly clenching shut on her heart. At first it seemed as if it was her own misery, but then she knew it was something else. Her hands flew up to clutch her chest in agony. She let out a cry of pain and fell to her knees. Cathy and Trowa looked from each other and glanced Relena. Her world was quickly fading away. Her friends were by her side.   
  
Trowa lifted her into his arms and began to run her into the small hut Heero had made. Trowa yelled to a villager to fetch Heero. A t first the villager refused to move, but an extra glare from Trowa swiftly sent him scurrying to get Heero.   
  
"Relena!" cried Cathy with panic as her friend was placed on the mat. "Relena please wake up!" Her friend's face was ashen white.   
  
"Relena hold on. We're getting the doctor!"   
  
"He's refusing to come," came a villager's voice from he door. Cathy glared at the speaker.   
  
"Why not?!"   
  
"Because the outcast stole his business. He refuses to help." Cathy's eyes were teary. Suddenly all movement stopped as Heero came rushing into the hut. He made his way next to Relena. When he picked up her hand he felt shocked by the limpness of it. His eyes turned to her face.   
  
"Has the doctor been called?"   
  
"No, he isn't coming," stated Cathy. Heero's eyes darkened in anger and everyone backed away. Heero stood up to drag the doctor to his wife and then kill him later but a gust of air came from Relena's lungs in a rush. Slowly a bit of color rose into her cheeks. Heero glared down at her as if it were all her fault. He also refused to admit that this heart was still racing from when the villager had warned him that his wife had fallen in a faint. He realized the kind of control she had over him and no one, not even his father could ever control him. His mind raced until he saw that Relena was breathing steadily He quickly left to pick up the work in the field he had put down.   
  
Relena looked around her frantically and saw she was inside her hut with Cathy's worried face hovering over her.   
  
"I'm alive," she whispered with amazement. Cathy relaxed a little.   
  
"Yes, thank God! You scared the living daylights out of me!"   
  
"Heero. Where's Heero?" Relena sat up but quickly fell back when a wave of dizziness hit her.   
  
Stay down. You must be really dizzy," suggested Trowa.   
  
"Heero came in, but I think he went back out to the field." First one tear fell then another and then they came earnestly. Cathy leaned forward and held her friend in comfort as the shattering sobs ripped through Relena. Trowa glared on with frustration towards his friend. The pain and helplessness in his wife's eyes was nearly unbearable. He quickly made his exit and headed for the fields where Heero had headed   
  
"Heero!" yelled Trowa, his usual monotone voice gone and replaced with an undertone threat. His friend was among the harvested plants. Trowa was getting angry. What Heero did sooner or later affected Cathy and Trowa wouldn't stand for it. Relena was heartbroken and it hurt Cathy. He would kill himself or anyone else if any harm came to his wife. He approached his friend and called his name once again. Heero heard him, Trowa knew he did but yet he still chose to ignore him. He must have sensed the oncoming fight.   
  
The moment Trowa reached Heero he spun the brown haired man around.   
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" growled Trowa to the stoic face before him. There was no reply. "You're bwife/b may have nearly died back there and you walk away as if it were nothing. What you're doing to Relena is killing her… What happens to Relena affects Cathy and I won't allow your stupidity to hurt my own wife!" Trowa lost his temper with Heero's impassable expression and shoved him at the last. Heero only stumbled back a foot or two. Trowa's strength was amazing, but Heero's ability to still stand after that onslaught was impressive. After a moment of long tenseness filling the air, Heero answered.   
  
"I don't love her," said Heero simply. Trowa pulled back his right leg along with his right fist and plowed it into Heero's face. Now Heero fell and landed with a loud thud on the dry ground. Trowa's face was now stoic as well.   
  
"Why in God's name did you make her yours then? Any man could have had her. You knew your mother was going to die soon anyway. You could have let her go back to her loved ones and let another man marry her. At least he would have cared for her." Heero's eyes darkened when Trowa mentioned another man marrying his wife and darkened when Trowa mentioned another man marrying his wife and Trowa knew he had hit a nerve.   
  
"So you do care for her. You better find out how you feel for her soon because you just may lose her." With that, Trowa turned away and headed back towards the huts, but then he stopped but didn't turn.   
  
"If any of this causes stress to Cathy, I'll rip you apart for it." He continued on his way. Heero wiped at the trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and stared after Trowa. Heero's wife had nearly died that day and what Trowa didn't know as that Heero was shaken to the core with terror for her.   
  
Suya smiled viciously as she felt the terror and pain rise in her enemy, Relena Peacecraft. It had been several months now and revenge had not been taken. Heero Yuy still had not given into his feelings so Suya decided to play the dark cupid and then her revenge would be complete. Relena would suffer greatly in an agonizing death and Heero won't be able to help her.   
  
She smiled cruelly at the remembrance of her humiliation and seeked to take her revenge out on anyone possible. Heero Yuy was going to pay very soon.   
  
Heero returned very late. He stayed longer than anyone else in the field. Furiously cutting down the intruding weeds, Heero thought of what Trowa said. As he stood over the mat he shared with Relena his words echoed back to him. 'What you're doing to Relena is killing her… killing her… killing her…' Heero sat and stared at his sleeping wife. Even in sleep her face was pained. He felt a twinge of guilt. Slowly, he lowered himself down next to her and brushed a hand against her cheek. She sighed and turned toward his warmth. She mumbled his name dreamily.   
  
"Heero." He smiled a little and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open to stare into his Prussian eyes. Her eyes searched his face and tears began to well up. She bit her bottom lip and with a sob she threw herself into his arms. Her grip was desperate and full of despair. Her arms locked themselves around his neck and her head was buried in his shoulder. Heero was surprised at first but slowly his arms came up to hold her as well. Warming to these feelings, Heero tightened his grip and placed his lips comfortingly on top of her soft hair, letting her know he was there. Her sobs were heartbreaking to him and he wanted nothing more than to wipe away that pain. He was a fool for not seeing this before. Wasted time on pride and fear. He was disgusted with himself, but no more. Hesitantly eh lowered his lips to her ear.   
  
"I love you Relena." Her sobs almost immediately stopped. She pulled back slowly.   
  
"What?"   
  
"I love you. Aishiteru. Aishiteru." Relena's eyes watered and she threw herself forward to embrace her husband.   
  
"Aishiteru, my darling Heero." Heero held her tightly; his eyes squeezed shut as he finally let his feelings go. Soft words were spoken and the time of night and silence seemed to freeze for them.   
  
Cathy smiled when she saw her friend step out from her hut. It seemed as though everything was fine now. Relena glowed with happiness now, whistling even. Heero now seemed almost willing to hold her in public. Feeling her happiness, Cathy gently rubbed her flat stomach and smiled secretively. She must have been standing there for a while because Relena had noticed her friend standing there in a daze.   
  
"Are you all right?" asked Relena with a worried look.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"   
  
"You were standing there as if you were off in your own world. Daydreaming about Trowa?" Cathy laughed a little.   
  
"Well you could put it that way." Relena was confused.   
  
"Either you are, or either you aren't."   
  
"I'm debating on how I should tell him something. You see, in about seven months Joshua will be an uncle and…" Relena let out a cry of joy and grabbed her friend in a huge embrace. One or two villagers turned to stare with curious looks on their faces. Relena ignored the looks as Cathy began to blush.   
  
"That's wonderful Cathy! That's great! When are you going to tell Trowa?"   
  
"If you scream any louder he'll know before I get the chance to tell him." Relena smiled and embraced her friend a little more gently this time.   
  
"I'm so happy for you," whispered Relena.   
  
"Thank you, Relena. I don't know what we'd do without you."   
  
"Hopefully we'll never find out," said Relena jokingly. 


	10. triwa9

Chapter 9  
  
Hilde stared at the ever-growing village. It was huge! Duo had always spoken of how poor the village was when Hilde had first seen it. That didn't seem to be the case and evidently, Duo was shocked as well.   
  
"Dear Kami!" he cried. Wufei and Dorothy smiled, expecting Duo's reaction. "What has Banshee been doing over this last few years?" Wufei answered the question.   
  
"Well, Relena's brother is a lot more clever with politics than we thought."   
  
"Despite what the leader had said and done, Zechs made the leader trust him. Somehow, Zechs helped market he village succeed even though the leader still considered himself in charge," said Dorothy.   
  
"After the leader died, Zechs took over and the village is growing rapidly. So rapidly that no one has seen it coming yet. The other tribes believe that we are poor and insignificant, but that is no longer true!" said Wufei proudly. Duo's eyes were wide with what came into view. Hundreds of homes littered the area and streams of smoke rose from inside several. There were even dogs running around, which was a miraculous thing. One or two gardens were seen here and there.   
  
"This must have cost a fortune!" blurted Hilde. Over the last day or two, Dorothy and Wufei found that Hilde was fairly nice person, that is, until Duo got her mad, but in the end she and Duo would be ending a fight in laughter. Dorothy smiled at Hilde.   
  
"We've set up some random and anonymous stands. No one knows where they are from."   
  
"We've been managing to irrigate the water from the waterhole to the village. Without the earlier technology from a hundred years ago it wasn't an easy task," said Wufei.   
  
"What of the flocks?"   
  
"That has only now become a major source of income. We're slowly making our way back to where we were before. Nothing like air conditioners and microwaves but it's getting there." Hilde found it amazing that all of this had developed in such a short amount of time and without any suspicion from anyone else.   
  
"Won't the other tribes find this all out?"   
  
"Yes, but it will be too late to do anything about it." That was true.   
  
"Come on," said Dorothy. "They're expecting you." Hilde hesitated. Smiling reassuringly, Duo led her another step to her new home. Every moment he felt her tense up more. Finally, the eyes of the villagers could be seen and Hilde felt the bottom of her stomach fall out. Duo felt her nervousness and squeezed her hand reassuringly. Hilde's teeth gnawed at her lip as the perspiration beaded on her brow.   
  
"Easy," said Duo soothingly. Hilde swallowed. Suddenly a cry rang out.   
  
"They're back!" someone cried. More yells and whoops of excitement followed quickly. People came running. Some seemed to only come with curiosity, others with looks of a pained remembrance.   
  
"It's Duo!" whispered people rapidly.   
  
"Hey, Duo's back!"   
  
"Where are the others?"   
  
"Maybe the Dead Soul killed them." Hushed whispers rose as eyes caught sight of Hilde. Questions of who she was ran through the crowd. Suddenly the answer rang out.   
  
"Dead Soul!" Cries of outrage followed and Hilde clutched Duo's hand tighter. Many villagers crowded forward to harass and shun the outsider. Duo covered her protectively, pushing people away, some strangers, others old memories.   
  
"Back off… BACK OFF, I SAID!" cried Duo at the top of his lungs. The people backed away in surprise at Duo's protest.   
  
"She is the enemy!" someone cried.   
  
"No! She's not. She's left that tribe because she was not happy there!"   
  
"She won't be happy here!"   
  
"Why have you brought the barbarian?" More upset cries arose, but was suddenly silenced as a voice roared over the villagers. The people all backed away as Zechs came forward. His icy blue eyes searched and assessed the situation. He saw quickly that Relena was not there. He stepped up to Duo and looked him straight in the eye.   
  
"It is good to see you again, Duo Maxwell." Duo smiled a little.   
  
"What a welcome." Zechs smiled, but everyone saw it didn't reach his eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry you were treated so harshly on your return home."   
  
"It's changed, that's all I will say."   
  
"Where are the others? Relena, Catherine, and Joshua?" Zechs felt his fear melt away when Dorothy, Wufei, and Duo showed no sign of grief. They were okay then.   
  
"She decided to stay with the Dead Soul clan," said Dorothy quietly. Zechs fear from earlier was immediately replaced by a terrible wave of dread.   
  
"Why did she stay? This is her home," said Zechs stiffly. Dorothy glanced at Wufei.   
  
"She has a new home now," said Duo. He swallowed deeply and took a deep breath. If Zechs' protectiveness over his little sister remained, then this ought to be the show of the year. "She's married… to Heero Yuy." Zechs' face turned from pale to bright red and almost to purple as the news spun through his mind.   
  
"She must have been forced," he said denying it.   
  
"She agreed of her own free will," stated Dorothy. Zechs shot her a death glare and she backed away a little. Zechs had not given a look like that since the attack years earlier. Unfortunately for Dorothy, it was directed at her.   
  
"Relena would not betray her tribe that way!"   
  
"So you're saying Cathy and Relena… and even Joshua are all traitors?" cried Duo.   
  
"Cathy as well?" cried Zechs in sarcastic shock.   
  
"Zechs…"   
  
"They have all been corrupted! This is war! They will pay for the corruption they have caused my sister." Duo had enough and stomped up to the crazed leader and let fly his left fist. Everyone went into shock and there was a stunned silence.   
  
"Listen to yourself, Zechs!" he yelled angrily as Zechs' cold eyes landed on his own stone cold face "You sound just like your last leader! Nothing but hatred and spite! That's not what you were before." Something changed in Zechs' eyes. They softened a little. Then he spoke quietly without tenseness.   
  
"Not your leader?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"He was not your leader as well?" Duo's eyes widened than fell in understanding.   
  
"He stopped being my leader the moment he left me to the outsiders."   
  
"I see. Then tell me this. Is this your tribe anymore?" Duo's heart twisted.   
  
"Did the tribe defend me… an orphan? My family dead and being thrown out?" Zechs stared sadly at Duo for a long moment.   
  
"There wasn't anything I could do. The whole tribe would have suffered."   
  
"All for a little orphan… three orphans at that! Relena might as well have been an orphan!" That hurt Zechs and Hilde saw it even before Duo. Acting quickly, Hilde shot forward and stood face to face with her old archenemy. Her eyes searched Zechs' confused, angry, and hurt eyes.   
  
"You want to help people, don't you?" It seemed random to everyone else, but Hilde could something in his eyes, deep where no one could find it. Duo knew Hilde had a knack with knowing or finding these things.   
  
He glanced down at Hilde proudly. Zechs was staring at Hilde as if something had been let loose inside of him. Slowly, he turned away and began to make his way towards his hut. Duo lightly placed a hand on Hilde's shoulder as she stared at Zechs back. Duo turned to Hilde, placing a protective arm around her and turned to Wufei and Dorothy.   
  
"So, where do we put up for tonight?"   
  
"Hilde is probably going to stay with me," said Dorothy with a coy look. Duo raised his eyebrows as Hilde began to turn a deep red blush. Wufei rolled his eyes and stepped in.   
  
"Until you build a place for yourself, you're staying with me."   
  
"Great!" Duo leaped over and gave Wufei a hardy pat on the back. Wufei gave his friend an annoyed look. Duo ignored it and leapt off yelling he was going to raid the food.   
  
He hasn't changed a bit," said Dorothy with a small grin. Hilde grinned at Dorothy, her new roommate.   
  
"I suppose he's always had his appetite?" Dorothy shrugged and made her way into the heart of the village. Hilde jogged to catch up when she realized Duo had left with Wufei already.   
  
"Do you think we'll have any trouble in town?" The blond woman didn't turn, she glanced around as they made their way down an opening between two huts. If it was back a hundred years or so, it would have been called an alley.   
  
"Not if we use a few back routes," Dorothy finally responded. How ironic for Hilde to be sneaking into her new home. 


	11. triwa10

Chapter 10  
  
"My goodness, you've grown!" cried Dorothy as she had returned to the Dead Soul tribe on a visit Cathy was only a few weeks away from her due date, and as looking it too. Relena was grinning crazily at her friend. Dorothy had been located coming a mile away and Relena and Cathy had run out to meet her. Of course, Dorothy was absolutely shocked when she saw Cathy's protruding stomach.   
  
"I can't believe it! When is it due?" Cathy pat the fabric covering her belly and smiled down at Joshua who was sucking on a finger as he stared up at Dorothy.   
  
"We think it's going to be here within a few weeks."   
  
"That's wonderful!"   
  
"So, what brings you here? We haven't seen you since you left. How are Duo and Hilde?" asked Relena in a rush.   
  
"They're doing great. Duo recently just finished his hut. Hilde is living with him…"   
  
"They're married? That's great!"   
  
"No they're not."   
  
"But… Oh, oh never mind."   
  
"Just friends, that's what they're saying." Cathy smiled a little and asked if Dorothy would like to go inside her hut. After agreeing, they made their way inside, to sit together, reminiscing over old times. Laughter filled the hut.   
  
"I still can't believe Wufei got his head stuck in that bucket so many years ago," giggled Relena.   
  
"He still insists that's his only mistake as embarrassing as that!" cried Dorothy with laughter. All three dissolved into laughter. Josh gave them confused looks and decided to follow suit. Trowa then walked in with Heero behind him to a hut full of laughing women. Trowa debated on leaving, but Cathy had already seen him and she raised her eyebrow as she noticed he was about to sneak back out.   
  
"Trowa, why don't you come and say hello to Dorothy?" It was more of an order than anything. Seeing he had no way of avoiding it, he stepped forward and nodded his head in Dorothy's direction. Trowa saw that Heero was also trying to retreat but he wasn't going down alone.   
  
"Heero!" Trowa could have sworn he saw Heero wince. He smirked as Heero turned to send a death glare in Trowa's direction. "Dorothy's back!" Heero's jaw clenched.   
  
"It's good to see you again Dorothy," he said with a flat unwelcoming tone. Heero would have to remember to seriously beat Trowa down next time they played any card games. Relena saw what was happening and waved a hand over her face as if she was hot, but she was actually hiding a smile.   
  
"Heero, I was hoping Dorothy would be able to stay with us for dinner." Heero shrugged in indifference.   
  
"That is fine with me." Relena gave him a devastating smile and Heero remembered why he loved her so much. Deciding there wasn't anything else to do, he made his way over to his wife and rested his arm comfortably over her shoulders. Dorothy looked at the happy couples and felt a tug at her heart. She was almost 22 and had not once in her life found a love interest. It made her feel very old. Relena managed to tear her adorning eyes from her husband long enough to ask Dorothy why she came in the first place. The dreaded moment had finally arrived. She took a moment to take a deep breath and collect herself before she answered.   
  
"Relena, Cathy… do you remember anything of that tribe we discovered before the disease broke out?" Both nodded. "It turns out, Zechs wants to merge our tribes by way of matrimony." Cathy had been taking a drink of water from a small wooden cup and she was so surprised by Dorothy's statement that she choked on the liquid. Trowa pat his wife's back to help her dislodge the unwanted liquid. Finally, Cathy blurted out an expletive. Joshua's jaw fell open, as Trowa was quite surprised as well.   
  
"You mean to say he's going to have some unfortunate tribesman marry someone from that blood thirsty tribe!" she cried in outrage. She was still bitter and enraged at the injustice of the attack that tribe had caused, not to mention her parents' deaths. Dorothy was staring at her clasped hands. Relena watched with concern as Dorothy accidentally let a tear fall.   
  
"Yes, Cathy. Zechs has decided I will be one of the brides." Relena's jaw had fallen to the floor at this point. I took Heero a few tries to shake her out of her stooper.   
  
"He wouldn't do such a thing!"   
  
"In one months time I will marry a Demon tribesman." Dorothy threw herself forward on hands and knees sobbing uncontrollably. The whole time she was trying to speak but only managed to extract only a few garbled words. Relena reached forward to embrace her friend and comfort her. After Dorothy had calmed she looked up into Relena's eyes.   
  
"You can't let him do this, Relena, PLEASE! I'll kill myself first. The men of the Demon tribe are said to be cruel and heartless. You have to come back with me and convince him!" Relena seemed lost of words for a moment. Heero's voice came forth with a steely edge.   
  
"Relena is not going to go back to Banshee Tribe on such a matter. It is Zechs' tribe to lead in the best he knows how…" Dorothy's eyes flared.   
  
"KNOWS BEST! What do you know of what he knows best?! He is beginning the same path our last leader took!" Just then, the door of the hut was filled by a figure.   
  
"Did I interrupt something?" asked Quatre with embarrassment. "I'll leave if…" Dorothy cut him off.   
  
"No, it's nothing. I was just preparing to leave." Dorothy stood slowly, her face giving no sign of her frantic pleading only moments earlier other than the trails of tears running down her cheeks. Cathy shot up after her friend.   
  
"No Dorothy wait!" Cathy winced but no one noticed. She grabbed her friend's hand. "Stay, we'll figure something out…"   
  
"No, I've caused you enough trouble." She gently removed her friend's hand and turned, moving to walk out the door. Cathy persisted. She leaned heavily on the doorframe.   
  
"Please Dorothy…" Cathy gasped as a pain shot up her back. Trowa was immediately by her side. Cathy was now doubled over, holding her stomach. Dorothy swung around and rushed over to Cathy with wide eyes. Relena and Heero followed.   
  
"Oh God, she's going into labor!" cried Relena. Cathy ignored the cried statement and looked up into Dorothy's eyes.   
  
"Please stay… Dorothy…"   
  
"I will! I promise! Quickly! Get her inside!" Trowa swept her up into his arms and carried her inside.   
  
The birth took another two hours, as Cathy's cries of frustration and pain could be heard within a small radius of the village. Trowa remained entirely calm throughout the entire ordeal, all but the occasional winces when the pain seemed to overwhelm Cathy. Dorothy almost felt faint as she stared at the birth of the Barton's first baby, weighing in at a strapping 5 lbs. Relena gave Cathy the confidence and support, basically being the laboring woman's cheerleader.   
  
It was decided soon after that the little boy would be called Thomas in honor of Cathy's father. Dorothy smiled at the happiness spread across Cathy's face. They were all a perfect picture. Trowa held Joshua up for a better look at his nephew, which Cathy held lovingly. A look of male pride and pure joy was written all over Trowa's features. Relena stood proudly in the background. Feeling suddenly out of place, Dorothy turned to walk out the door without being seen. She took a deep breath and stared up at the stars that were beginning to appear. The sound of someone losing their lunch in some bushes nearby drew her attention. Her eyes settled on a hunched back and realized it was Quatre. She quickly made her way over to him and placed a comforting hand on his back. He seemed to calm and spit the rest of the waste from his mouth. He turned away quickly to try to look decent. When he turned back to Dorothy he smiled weakly and apologized for that scene. Dorothy had to surpress a smile.   
  
"Is it over?" he asked hopefully. Now Dorothy did smile and the mirth could be heard clearly.   
  
"Yes, his name is Thomas and looks every bit like Trowa." Quatre smiled in happiness for his friends.   
  
"You know, you're going to have to learn to get used to those scenes. What would your wife do if you were passed out on the floor?" He blushed a deep red as Dorothy laughed good-naturedly.   
  
"I will not put any woman through that I would believe. If it should mean me not being wed, then so be it." Dorothy was about to say something smart with a large smile, but she suddenly realized that Quatre was serious. Her face sobered.   
  
"Why do you not wish to marry? Surely not for that simple reason." Quatre looked slightly embarrassed. A scarlet stain began to make its way up his neck and over his cheeks. It was rather endearing. He looked away and gave a slight cough, as if to clear his throat. Then his eyes slowly looked back at hers.   
  
"I think something is wrong with me," he said uneasily. Dorothy's look of apprehension was replaced with concern. Her eyebrows knit together with a momentary worry. "I've always had a problem with women when intimacy is involved. I can't bring myself to think down that road. It's like nothing will catch my eye. I mean, they are attractive and enticing, but I can never seem to concentrate solely on them. Ever since I can remember…" he trailed off, suddenly remembering that there was a formal barrier between the both of them. He stopped and stepped back slightly. Dorothy had been listening intently, but when he had halted with his explanation she realized she was treading on thin ice with him. This was something he had not discussed with many people. She gave him a curious look. Not wanting to push him very far, she turned and stared up at the stars, sitting down lightly on the dry ground. A small cloud of dust rose up from around her, only emphasizing on the arid weather they had been receiving. She turned and looked over her shoulder and with a mere look, invited Quatre to take a place next to her. He hesitated, not sure if she was bothered by his abrupt ending. Slowly, he sat down next to her, looking up as well at the dark sky, littered with stars. The Milky Way was shining brighter that night.   
  
"I grew up alone you know," whispered Dorothy. Quatre, not knowing how to respond, glanced uneasily at her and then jerked his head back up towards the sky. Dorothy's had not wavered at all from the shining river of stars. "My parents were killed by the virus when I was very young. I was to live with some friends of my parents, but they had not wanted me. It was an order given by the leader of our tribe at the time." After that, I was very solitary, that is until I met Relena and the others. It was like they were the family I was looking for. Mr. and Mrs. Peacecraft were so kind to me, treated me like one of their own." Dorothy had a small wry smile on her face. Quatre gazed at her out of the corner of his eye curiously. It was then Dorothy suddenly turned to look at him. "I was the first of us to not have loving parents. I was different, I still am different. Wufei lives in isolation as well as I, but he still has his parents, although, his mother has become infected with the accursed virus. You see, we were friends of the orphans, we were bad luck, you might say." She laughed with some sorrow behind her voice. "After Relena was gone, Mr. Peacecraft became very sick and I was suddenly not allowed inside the Peacecraft residence. Zech only concentrated on his father until his death; afterward, he became obsessed with becoming the next tribe leader, determined not to let the same thing happen over of which happened years earlier with Relena, Duo, and Cathy. It tore us all apart. I have no energy left now to become close to anyone again. I will never find peace, even with someone I marry. I know the pain of loss and I refuse to open myself up to that kind of ache again." By the end, Dorothy's eyes were boring into Quatre's, not giving him anything but the truth.   
  
Quatre felt suddenly that the world was being sucked into their own universe. Everything was revolving around those deep blue orbs. Unexpectedly, he felt the deep urge to jump into a huge freezing lake. It seemed silly because he had never seen a lake before, but he had heard about how numerous they were before the heat came and wiped everything out. He felt a slight tingle run up his spine, holding down the shiver, he shifted into a more comfortable position, facing her now. He felt the blush returning and cursed it.   
  
"I'm attracted to men and women," he said hoarsely. Dorothy's eyes never swayed from his. A tense moment passed, a moment that he felt that he could not breath. The feathery touch on his fingers made him look at his hand, startled. She had placed her fingers gently against his own. His eyes flew back up to hers, once again, feeling the urge to seek out that blasted lake. Gulping, he fisted the hand that she touched into a tight ball, her fingers remained on his. He looked down, obviously feeling very pained by what he was to say. "I was… upset when I found out about Trowa and Cathy," he whispered. It was hard for him to say something that had never been brought into the open like a raw wound, but he felt he could trust her. "I didn't realize it until after they had announced their marriage arrangement. I found I could barely stand to watch them leave for their hut at night. It still pains me to see them so happy together, now with a child. After they were wed, my father increased the pressure of marriage, but after Trowa had married Cathy, I felt all need for a partner leave me." A long pause followed. He half expected her to laugh at him, at his pitiful display of feelings, even mocking his manhood. He tensed waiting. Cool fingers reached out and soothingly brought his chin up. His eyes were moist as he stared into understanding in those blue depths. He didn't even realize he had begun to hold his breath. Smiling slightly, she tried to reassure him.   
  
"We are similar, you and I, aren't we?" she whispered, allowing her forehead to rest against his, lowering her face towards the ground, her lids hiding her eyes from view. Quatre gulped, that damned tingle was not going away. Without any warning, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. Allowing herself to hold him in a tight embrace. He stared with wide eyes into nothing over her shoulder. She allowed her eyes to slide shut for just a moment of comforting. Their cheeks rubbed lightly together, the feeling of soft flesh against each other only made the moment stranger. Finally, Dorothy brought herself to pulling away, keeping her hands lightly pressed against his shoulders. She smiled gently.   
  
"You saved me those many years ago, do you remember?" Quatre gulped and shook his head. It was really all a blur at the moment, everything was a blur. Her smile was a little sad now. No, don't be sad, please. "You were my savior that day," she whispered, looking away. Quatre didn't know how to react. Since there was no response, Dorothy sighed heavily and got up, smacking the dust away from her legs and rear, trying to keep herself busy. Remaining seated on the ground, Quatre stared up at her.   
  
"Why did you come here?" he asked, blurting out anything to keep this moment from ending. She scoffed bitterly, shaking her head, as if mocking herself. The moment passed as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.   
  
"I came looking for a way out only to find that there never was a way out to begin with." Quatre seemed puzzled.   
  
"What way are you looking for?" Dorothy found there was little else she could do, so she began to fidget with the shirt she wore. The anxiety began to show through her carefully set exterior.   
  
"I am to marry someone from another tribe in less than two weeks," she finally said. Her voice was filled with frustration and anger. "I was hoping that Relena would be able to come and talk some sense into her brother, but that will not happen as long as Heero stands in the way. I can't do this!" she cried, the final remnants of her self-control evaporating. Falling to her knees, she wept bitterly into her hands, cursing herself for crying in front of him like this. Quatre lost all sense of unease and quickly moved forward to kneel next to her. Gently, he wrapped an arm over her hunched shoulders, rubbing them softly, trying to give her some comfort.   
  
"He'll kill me," she kept weeping. "He's so cruel. He'll kill me." The muttering continued. A huge yawning space seemed to open in her. It was filled with her anguish and fear that she had pent up inside of her for the last three years. The thick curtain that had surrounded her all her life seemed much thicker and darker than before. No hope was left for her. Strangely enough, even through her tears, she vaguely noticed the small chirping of a cricket and realized she had not heard such a sound in many years. Most had died or been wiped out, now only smaller, more unpleasant insects remained. Just as odd, she then became aware of Quatre's own mutterings.   
  
"I won't let him. He won't hurt you." His voice was granite, yet filled with a tender promise. It stayed her tears if only for a moment. Looking up into his eyes, there was such intensity there that she felt her heart straining against the sudden tightness in her chest.   
  
"What?" The intensity did not fade or waver. It was as if he had come to a conclusion that he already knew existed. With his other hand, he reached forward and gripped her hand in his tightly, making a two-handed fist, sandwiched between two warm bodies. His eyes never left hers.   
  
"I won't let anything happen to you. I will take you into my own home, if not as a wife, but at least as a friend." Leaning forward, he continued. "I would make you more comfortable than some monster from that other clan. You don't wish to grow close to someone, yet you don't want to be abused. Marry me. I will not abuse you, or use you. Nothing more than friends if you like, and my father will leave me alone and Zechs will be able to do nothing." Dorothy gasped by the shock of the idea, which seemed to immediately break the spell, the sudden shadow of passion and power was washed away all at once. He was not sure where this idea had come from, but it felt perfectly logical at the time. Now the doubt was beginning to set in as well as the horror of what would happen if she refused him.   
  
"But, why?" she whispered, confused by his motives. He had not known her but for a little while. It was strange, unheard of, blasphemous; it was the perfect way out of her situation. His face was all bathed in red now from the deep blush conquering across his skin. Coughing, he looked away and stuttered something, realizing how terribly vulnerable he had allowed himself to become. He couldn't answer her. Dorothy wasn't really even looking for an answer, just any sign that he would do what he had said just moments ago. She didn't wish to give him a chance to back out. It was greedy, but she was desperate.   
  
"I'll do it," she said breathlessly. Quatre's head shot up immediately, almost as if he was appalled by the answer. Dorothy bit her lip hard.   
  
"What?"   
  
"I'll marry you. You're right; it is better than what is set before me. It would not, could not be any worse than what is awaiting me back at Banshee." Quatre suddenly felt as if a huge foot was pressing harder and harder down on his chest. It was becoming more difficult to breath. His face was almost pained. He feared he would soon fall to the ground cringing. Does this woman know what she had gotten herself into? Was it so wise of her to be so quick to make this arrangement? He was looking for some answer, anything, some kind of answer that would either turn her down or make her apart of his life forever. She was just sitting there waiting… say something… anything at all blockhead, just say it! That huge foot suddenly released his chest and the answer flew from him like a torrent of water let loose from a dam.   
  
"Yes!" Dorothy's eyes were wide. He gave such a vigorous answer. "We'll do it, this very night if you wish. Whenever you find suitable." Dorothy sighed, feeling a weight being lifted off of her back and feeling another one replacing it. Was this wise? 


End file.
